Stories about Feature from March, 2010
Greenpeace vs. Nestle – on freedom of expression
Last two weeks mark increased amount of discussions around recent Greenpeace campaign targeting Nestle for their usage of palm oil resulting in highly destructive impact on environment. Campaign started with a viral video uploaded to YouTube and hosted on the main site of the organization featuring office scene during which...
Egypt: Activist arrested for running a Facebook group – Released
An Egyptian activist is arrested for running a Facebook group supporting Mohamed ElBaradie for running for Presidency. Police are holding him without a charge.
Is Russia an Enemy of Internet?
The degree of freedom on the Russian Internet is an issue for debates. Some put Russia on the same list of "Internet enemies" with China and Iran. Others strongly oppose this kind of generalization and claim that Russian Internet is the most liberal and unrestricted public sphere in the country.
China: Conversation among webcensors
A screen capture of a webcensor's QQ group conversation has been circulated via Twitter. It helps the outside world to understand the micro operation of online censorship in China. Webcensor – xiao dong (1111937) 13:49:33 Hi everybody, check if your website contains information calling for support on Google. Let me...
The Second Decade of Middle East Internet
In its second decade in the Middle East, the Internet has been increasingly challenging many of the region's governments – specifically dictatorships that impose strict limitations on civil freedoms. It has brought about the formation of pressure groups for social and political change on FaceBook, allowed for real-time coverage of...
Venezuela: Concerns About Controls on the Internet
Debate is heating up in Venezuela after decrees and statements from President Hugo Chávez, who questioned how the Internet is being used in the country. Many are interpreting these statements and policy proposals that the government wants control the Internet in Venezuela.
Blog for a Cause! is now available in Macedonian.
Blog for a Cause!, the Global Voices Guide of Blog Advocacy, is now available in Macedonian thanks to this translation by Elena Ignatova from Global Voices in Macedonian. Blog for a Cause! has already been translated into Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic. The guide outlines easy-to-follow tips on how to...
China: Various aspects of censorship
March 12 was the World Day Against Cyber Censorship and Reporter without Border announced its latest list of “Enemies of the Internet” which points finger at China, among other authoritarian states. Jason Ng from Kenengba tries to enrich the discussion by outline various aspects of Chinese Internet censorship. 1. Non-transparent...
Egypt: Governmental Decision to Block Skype using USB Modem
It looks like the Egyptian Government attempts to control the cyberspace and netizens are moving forward. Although, Egypt didn’t witness many attempts to block websites and online services, the government follows different ways to keep an eye on what’s happening online, beside harassing bloggers and netizens. Two days ago, citizens...
Facebook Removes Moroccan Secularist Group and its Founder
Note: The group has once again become accessible after several days, as pointed out in the comments. El Ghazzali created a new profile for himself, and was able to do so without incident. Facebook did not respond to any requests for explanation. Over the past few years, Facebook has come...
Youtube: Saudi young man impersonating a police officer arrested and charged with morality crimes
Update 1: On March 22nd, 2010, Pinkpaper.com reported that Ahmad al-Faqih was sent to jail for a year, fined $1,330, and will be lashed 1,000 times for appearing in a gay-themed video. According to Arab News, a 27-year-old Saudi man, Ahmad al-Faqih, has been arrested in January for making and...
China: Proposed regulations on Internet Cafes
This year, members of the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have put forward a number of suggestions regarding legislation on regulation of Internet Cafes. Government run internet cafes According to local media report, CPPCC members Yan Qi suggested the government to run internet cafes...
Would You Defend The Rights of Your Political Enemies? (on Algerian censorship)
For my first post on Global Voices Advocacy I'd like to entertain a discussion on an issue that has been bothering me since news of the first censored political website in Algeria was broken. That is, how far would one go in defending the human rights, and most relevant the...
Italy Convicts Three Google Executives for Privacy Violations
Last week, an Italian magistrate convicted three Google executives for violating Italian privacy laws for a video uploaded in late 2006 to Google Video, which showed a disabled child being bullied by other schoolchildren in Turin. This is the first case worldwide to hold the company's executives criminally responsible for the content posted on its system. Vivi Down, an Italian group representing people with Down syndrome, and the boy's father in Milan pushed for a criminal prosecution against four individual Google employees (one of them was charged only with the dismissed defamation charges).
