Rebecca MacKinnon

Latest posts by Rebecca MacKinnon

Netizen Report: Combat Edition

  21 February 2012

Most of this report was researched, written, and edited by Weiping Li, Mera Szendro Bok, and Sarah Myers. The past two weeks have been highly tumultuous for Internet activists around the world as governments continue to crack down on online protests. In Syria, the well-known blogger and free speech advocate...

Netizen Report: Which Way Ahead?

  8 February 2012

In the past few weeks, we have witnessed how Internet companies - the sovereigns of cyberspace - struggle with the conflict between market demands for global expansion and the demands of their users for freedom of expression online. In this edition of our twice-monthly report on developments affecting the freedom of netizens around the world, we report on new censorship policies at Twitter and Google, privacy developments, new legislation, netizen activism against the ACTA trade agreement, efforts by bloggers and activists around the world to fight repression, and much more.

Netizen Report: Uprising Edition

  27 January 2012

Netizens around the world took collective action with a mass Internet black out on January 18th to protest the U.S. Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect-IP Act. But that was not the only news in the global struggle for freedom and control on the Internet. In our latest twice-monthly report, we take a look at developments concerning netizen rights all over the world.

Netizen Report: Celebration Edition

  12 January 2012

In our first edition of 2012, we take a look at the mounting challenges from all directions to online free expression, and celebrate the many ways in which netizens around the world are fighting back.

Netizen Report: Remembrance Edition

  23 December 2011

Vaclav Havel, a poet, playwright, dissident, last president of Czechoslovakia, and first president of the Czech Republic, died on Dec 18 at age 75. His story and words continue to inspire people around the world to fight against repression. Netizens around the world are doing their best to resist injustice and abuse of power, as events of the past fortnight make clear.

Netizen Report: Fight for the Future Edition

  12 December 2011

As we celebrate the birth of Khaled Alaa Abdel Fattah, born last Tuesday to two Egyptian cyber-activists: mother Manal Bahey al-Din Hassan and father Alaa Abd El-Fattah who is currently in prison, we ask ourselves: "What are we doing to make sure that our children will even be able to use the Internet to fight for their rights speak truth to power?"

Netizen Report: Bullets and Pepper Spray Edition

  24 November 2011

Today is the International Day to End Impunity, honoring those who have been killed for exercising their right to free speech. Now that everybody can commit journalism on the Internet, any citizen in the world can end up on the list unless we fight to defend our rights against the many who want to silence us. Read on for a roundup on news about the latest power struggles between citizens, governments and corporations on the Internet.

Netizen Report: Transparency Edition

  7 November 2011

This installment of the bi-monthly Netizen Report reviews latest developments in the power game between citizens, governments and companies. We begin with applause for Google's latest Transparency Report, then overview the landscape of Internet governance fights, surveillance and censorship outrages, plus a few heart-warming developments as well.

Tunisia: A chance to get things right?

  20 October 2011

At the Third Arab Bloggers Meeting in Tunis earlier this month, Moez Chakchouk, Chairman and CEO of the Tunisian Internet Agency, gave an amazing presentation in which he revealed that under Ben Ali, his agency had secretly tested censorship and surveillance software for Western companies. He wants to turn his agency into a transparent and neutral Internet exchange point. But whether he will succeed depends in part on the outcome of the October 23rd Constituent Assembly elections, and Tunisia's unfolding political process over the coming year.

Netizen Report: Occupy the Net Edition

  20 October 2011

This week we begin with Occupy Wall Street and the global "Occupy" protest movement: how the movement has galvanized hacktivists and citizen journalists, and how it has brought the issue of search and seizure of data on cellphone to the forefront in the United States and around the democratic world. We then move on to a roundup of the latest developments on surveillance and censorship, latest actions by companies both positive and negative, issues with Internet governance, and more. Don't forget to check out the list of upcoming events at the end of the post!

Netizen Report: Big Brother Edition

  7 October 2011

This edition of our new series on the power dynamics between governments, companies, and citizens covers a range of developments: the Internet Governance Forum; the 3rd Arab Bloggers Conference; the latest news in surveillance and censorship; the latest news from some of the world's biggest Internet companies that impact our lives; a list of interesting publications; and some events you may be interested in attending, either in person or remotely.

Netizen's Guide to the Internet Governance Forum

  26 September 2011

The Internet Governance Forum is a multi-stakeholder forum where people from all over the world – from government, industry, the technical community and civil society – come together to discuss the Internet's future. The Sixth Annual meeting officially kicks off on Tuesday morning in Nairobi, Kenya. A number of pre-meetings...

The Netizen Report: Governance Edition

  23 September 2011

Tweet of the week: “If you are not at the table, you are probably on the menu.” via @guatemalia The sixth annual Internet Governance Forum meets in Nairobi next week. The schedule can be downloaded here. If you are not going in person you can participate remotely. Links to the...

The Netizen Report: Inaugural Edition

  16 September 2011

This is the first post in a new series on GVA called "The Netizen Report:" A regular overview of recent global developments related to the power dynamics between citizens, companies and governments on the Internet.