Stories about Feature from August, 2009
Saudi Arabia blocking Twitter pages of activists
Saudi Arabia’s Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has recently blocked access to Twitter accounts of a blogger @Mashi97 and a human rights activist @abualkhair. The move comes after the role Twitter played in the recent post-elections uprising in Iran. Blogger Khaled al-Nasser told AFP that his tweets which included...
China: Netizen detained for “spreading rumor”
A netizen Xiong Zhongjun has been detained by Hubei police for questioning the identity of a car accident driver on the Internet. The 10-day detention started on 21 of August according to Xinhua report. The car accident, which led to the death of a young man, took place in Hangzhou...
United States:Google at the center of online free speech debate
Google is at the center of online free speech debate once again. The search engine giant is being sued by blogger Rosemary Port after they released her identity following a court order. Port criticized former model Lasuka Cohen in her blog-often using harsh words. A Manhattan Supreme Court Judge ordered...
Egypt: the Influence of Facebook Events and Groups
Within the dynamic and expansive electronic media landscape in Egypt, Facebook became widely used by Egyptian citizens for different reasons and in several occasions, especially when it comes to shape the public opinion in opposition to the Egyptian government. For example, the Egyptian government recently announced, through the ministry of communication, a “Fair Usage Policy (FUB)” to be implemented in Egypt, aiming to limit the bandwidth consumed by internet users and determine specific downloadable amount.
Brazil: Lawsuits force popular political blog to close down
The A Nova Corja blog [The New Scum, pt], a symbol of independent and investigative journalism on the Brazilian blogosphere, has published a farewell post [pt]. On August 6th, the last remaing blogger of the group, Rodrigo Alvares, announced that he has decided to close the blog down due to...
China: A youth beaten to death because of Internet addiction
Last month, the Chinese Ministry of Health announced that electroshock treatment for “internet addiction” should be suspended. However, it doesn't mean that clinic for treating “Internet addiction” has given up the use of torture. Recently in Aug 03, a 16-year-old male student, surnamed Deng, was beaten to death in a...
Egyptian Government utilizes Electronic Media
Despite its attacks on online activists, especially on bloggers, in an attempt to combat utilizing electronic media for human rights and politics, the Egyptian government has begun using the same electronic tools, but for its own interests. Mr. Gamal Mubarak, son of current President Hosni Mubarak and the General Secretary...
Malaysia: A Step Closer To Internet Censorship?
The Malaysian government is looking into the feasibility of installing an Internet filter to block “undesirable websites”, along the lines of the People's Republic of China's abandoned “Green Dam” software. The reason for this new move is so that racial harmony in multicultural Malaysia is maintained, according to news site...
United States: Online free speech debate
Should a school be able to curb a student's speech online because the content is available on campus? A case in the 3rd U.S Circuit Court of Appeals sets a precedent in protecting off-campus online speech of a student. According to ThinkFree “In 2005, while a high school senior in...
Pakistan: Funny SMS's may land Pakistanis in for a fourteen year prison sentence
Pakistans' Minister of Interior Rehman Malik recently announced a 14 year prison sentence for anyone found propagating SMS and emails ridiculing or making fun of the present Pakistani leadership and its elected government officials. The statement issued by the Ministry of Interior actually referenced the Cyber Crime Act of 2009 which apparently may subject the violators to at least 14 years behind bars.
Iran: Leading reformist Abtahi on trial
Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, a leading blogger and former reformist vice president, was among dozens to protest the 12th June presidential election's result. A trial of the protestors is now underway in a Tehran court. In the court Abtahi, who appeared wearing prisoner's pyjamas, looked weak and seemed to have lost...
Egypt: 2 Bloggers Released and Another Still Disappeared (podcast)
Two out of the three bloggers who were arrested on July 22, 2009 are now free. Abdel Rahman Ayyash and Magdy Saad were released after six days of arrest at Cairo airport, then sent to State Security Intelligence (SSI) headquarters at Lazoghly Square, (Cairo). In this podcast, blogger Abdel Rahman...
