Stories about Feature from June, 2012
Netizen Report: Copyright Edition
This week's edition begins in Japan where disproportionate penalties for copyright violations reached new heights in with the passage of a new bill this month that will make downloading copyrighted material punishable by imprisonment or fines. A number of other countries have also moved to criminalize copyright infringement. Our team then moves on to update our global readership on the latest developments and controversies related to freedom and control of the Internet around the world.
Netizen Report: Transition Edition
This week's Netizen Report begins in Myanmar, where the government's new resolve for an open Internet is being tested this week by a state of emergency declared to contain deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in the nation’s western Rakhine state. From there we report on the latest developments in the struggle for online freedom around the world from Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom to Googledom.
“Bloggers are cultural mediators” Interview with Ivan Sigal
Ivan Sigal, Executive Director of Global Voices, spoke with Amnesty International Germany about the origins and goals of Global Voices. He explains in particular the role of bloggers in the exchange of information beyond linguistic and cultural barriers.
China: Top Domain co.jp Blocked Temporarily
The Chinese Great Firewall had blocked top domain name registry, co.jp temporarily for more than 30 hours between June 15 and June 16. This is the first time the GFW blocks a top domain registry. According to Yahoo! Japan [jp], the blocking had lasted for 1.5 days and there hasn't...
Netizen Report: Intervention Edition
Throughout this week's edition we highlight examples of government intervention to limit free speech online, ostensibly "for the greater good". We begin in Kuwait, where a Shi’ite man has been sentenced to prison for ten years for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammad and Sunni Muslims via Twitter. From there we travel to China, India, South Africa, Tunisia, Oman, Facebookistan, and beyond.
Kuwait: Three Netizens Sentenced to Prison
Since the Arab Spring first sparked, Kuwaiti authorities have been following internet users closely and summoning them to interrogation and then sending them to courts for prosecution over different cases that are mostly sectarian or political.
Nabeel Rajab: Tweeting from prison!
Nabeel Rajab, the President of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights , who was released on bail last week, has been arrested again. Just like last time, Nabeel Rajab is detained for posting what the Bahraini government considers insulting posts on his Twitter handle. As a result, he will be detained for 7...
Netizen Report: Telecoms Edition
In this week's survey of the struggle for freedom and control of the global Internet, our team begins in Ethiopia where the introduction of new telecommunications infrastructure is creating a new layer of censorship and surveillance. We proceed onward across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and provide an update on the battle over which international organizations should be allowed to govern parts of the Internet.
China: Annual June 4 Censorship Battle
Yesterday was the annual candle light vigil for commemorating the June 4 Massacre in Hong Kong. Across the border in mainland China, it was a date for internet censorship. The typical censorship measure is the filtering of sensitive words related with numbers, time, memory, places, organizations and names, as listed...
Hong Kong: A Large Number of Facebook User Accounts Suspended at the Eve of Annual June 4 Vigil
Every year, before the annual vigil of June 4th Massacre in Hong Kong, concerned citizens would urge their friends to attend the vigil together via Facebook and other social media. Yesterday a large number of user accounts have been suspended for unknown reason and many of the users said their...
