Stories about News from August, 2012
Netizen Report: Assam Edition
This week we begin in the Indian state of Assam, which has faced religious conflict after the spread of rumors of violence against Muslims on social media became a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Indian government responded with censorship, demonstrating the complexity of government imperatives to find a balance between Internet freedom and national security. From India, we move to Jordan, Tunisia and beyond.
Netizen Report: Malaysian Edition
This week's Netizen Report starts in Malaysia, where activists staged a Web blackout to protest Section 114A, which overextends liability for content posted by users on a network. From there, we move to Myanmar, which has made promising steps toward freedom of expression by ending prior censorship of newspapers by government. From there, we turn to Pakistan, South Korea, India and beyond.
Assange Asylum Granted After Threats from UK Authorities
This morning, Thursday 16 August, 2012, in a press conference streamed from the website of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Ricardo Patino declared that the country would grant asylum to the Founder and Editor of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange. This comes after threats by UK authorities to remove Assange from the Embassy.
Middle East and North Africa Netizen Report: First Edition
In this first edition of the Middle East and North Africa Netizen Report, we look at various threats facing netizens in the region, from the widespread use of a surveillance tool called FinFisher to new censorship measures facing Jordanian Internet users. The edition also covers issues in Bahrain, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Syria, Morocco, and more.
Netizen Report: Search Edition
This report starts off in the Googleplex, looking at a series of challenges Google has faced over the management of its search results. From there, we turn to other Sovereigns of Cyberspace, including Craigslist, Facebook and Apple, each of which is reshaping the Internet environment through a series of policy changes. Then we turn to Hong Kong, the Ukraine, and beyond.
Netizen Report: Pan-African Edition
This week's Netizen Report starts out in Sub-Saharan Africa, where we look at how Pan-African organizations and a number of countries are debating issues of free expression online. From there, we move on to cover the latest developments in the struggle for freedom and control of the Internet in Myanmar, China, France, United States, the United Nations, Facebookistan, and beyond...
Hong Kong: Citizen Media Office Attacked
Yesterday (August 8 2012), 4 masked men rushed into a citizen media advocacy group's office and smashed its computer equipment. [Disclosure: the writer of this article is a member of the organization.] The organization is Hong Kong In-Media, a non-profit organization aiming at promoting the development of independent and citizen...
Netizen Report: Olympic Edition
This week's report focuses on the Olympics. While the opening ceremony celebrated freedom and creativity, the games have in reality been plagued by widespread censorship and restrictions online. In addition, we discuss the challenges Twitter has faced as a primary platform for discussions online during the Games. After leaving London, we go to China, Tajikstan and beyond.
