Stories about News from October, 2008
Thailand: Plans to block anti-monarch websites
The Thai government is planning to set up a firewall to block websites considered to be insulting to the country’s monarch, together with other Internet content deemed inappropriate. According to news reports, the Communications Ministry has received more than 1,000 complaints on websites which are considered offensive to the royal family.
Deprived of using the university dormitories because of blogging
Ahmed Abdel Kawi , meeting all the necessary conditions to use his university housing, so, the decision of his exclusion was strongly condemned by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information’s Legal Aid Unit for Freedom of Expression, which issued a statement saying:
Blogger.com banned in Turkey
A Turkish court has blocked access to the popular blog hosting service Blogger (Blogger.com and Blogspot.com owned by Google), since friday, October 24th, 2008. Turkish Internet users are seeing this message when trying to visit Blogger.com and all blogs hosted on blogspot.com hosting service: “Access to this website has been suspended in accordance with decision no. 2008/2761 of the TR Diyarbakir First Criminal Court of Peace.”
Blogger detained in Nigeria
The US-based Nigerian blogger, Jonathan Elendu, who blogs at Elendu Reports, is being held without charge, since Saturday October 18th, by the State Security Service (SSS). Elendu was arrested upon arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, from the United States. He is now being investigated for “acts of sedition”.
Malaysia: Yet another blogger rebuked
Deputy Chief Minister, Alfred Jabu Numpang, of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, has criticised blogger, Joseph Tawie for a posting on the latter's blog. Freelance writer and blogger Tawie accused Sarawak state leaders of suppressing allegations of sexual abuse of Penan women in his blog, The Broken Shield. A blog post urged...
Australia embraces web censorship
The issue of internet censorship generally involves countries deemed non-democratic or “repressive” (something I discuss in my new book, The Blogging Revolution.) We regularly read reports about the regimes in China or Iran blocking countless “subversive” websites for overtly political gain. Alas, a growing number of nations in the West...
Worldwide protest against surveillance: Freedom not Fear 2008
Surveillance and data retention is a problem that deserves Global attention, even for developing countries. In developing countries protests for such causes are sometimes not among the list of priorities, such as poverty, hunger and violence, which are the major concerns. Not quite. In Peru, breaking news points to surveillance coming from the government, and recently in Guatemala, the President himself was under heavy surveillance.
Livejournal inaccessible in Kazakhstan
Kazakh Internet users seem to be unable to access the popular blogging platform and social network Livejournal through Kazakh major ISPs. According to Reuters Canada, only a small number of Kazakh Livejournal bloggers still can access the website through smaller ISPs or through the use of proxies. Livejournal.ru, however, seems to be accessible.
Tunisia: National Day for Freedom of Blogging on November 4
Tunisian bloggers are rallying for a National Day for Freedom of Blogging on November 4. The day will coincide with a court hearing for a lawsuit filed by the journalist and blogger Zied El Heni against the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI).
The Blogging Revolution: from Iran to Cuba
Antony Loewenstein, a Sydney-based freelance journalist and blogger, has recently published his new book: The Blogging Revolution. This book talks about the impact of blogging on six countries: Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Cuba.
An Egyptian blogger is out of jail provided that he stop blogging
After being in jail for more than 2 months, the Egyptian blogger Mohamed Refaat was set free. Mohamed told Add-Dostour daily newspaper that the state security officers insisted that he will not go out of his detention custody till he sign a paper saying he will never update his blog neither heis Facebook account , nevertheless dealing with humanitarian NGOs or journalists.
Malaysia: Outrage at racist blogger
Blogger “Sammy”, reported to be a 22 year old employee in a Kuala Lumpur advertising firm, was reported to have posted anti-Indian sentiments on her blog, Life is a Drama. The blogger posted her comments after she claimed her mobile phone was stolen by two alleged Indian youths when she was...
