Stories about News from September, 2012
Netizen Report: Halal-net Edition
This week's Netizen Report starts in Iran, which appears to have made major strides toward launching its own national Internet network. It's unclear as of yet what the network will look like, but some speculate it will be similar to China's Great Firewall.
Paraguay: ISPs Block News Website Without Warrant
An alarming act of censorship by private companies took place on September 26 in Paraguay. Two Internet Service Providers (ISPs) blocked the AbcColor.me website without a judicial warrant. After pressure from netizens, the websites were unblocked.
Netizen Report: YouTube Edition
This week's report begins with a discussion of Google's handling of the movie trailer 'Innocence of Muslims' on YouTube, which has sparked worldwide debate about the relationship between hate speech and free speech, and the interaction between national sovereignty and the exercise by Internet companies of a private sort of sorverignty over people's digital lives - with real world implications. From there, we move on to Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan, China, the United States and beyond.
MENA Netizen Report: We Won't Give Up
Our first edition of the MENA Netizen Report received an enthusiastic welcome from readers, demonstrating that this regionally-focused report fills an important gap. In addition to the usual sections, this month's edition contains a 'Worth reading' paragraph.
UN Conference Live Stream Blocked in Bahrain
According to activists in Bahrain, a United Nations Human Rights Council live stream has been blocked. Authorities in #Bahrain put obstacles to access #UN website for live stream because of my intervention in the #HRC21twitpic.com/aucktm — Mohammed Al-Maskati(@MohdMaskati) September 14, 2012 Mohamed Al-Maskati, president of Bahrain Youth Society for...
Netizen Report: Corporate Responsibility Edition
This week's report begins with Swedish-Finnish telecom TeliaSonera, which has faced criticism for its collaboration with authoritarian regimes in Tajikistan, Azerbaijian and other Eastern European and Central Asian countries. From there, we return to Jordan for an update on the #BlackoutJO protests. Then, we turn to Argentina, Brazil and beyond.
Netizen Report: #BlackOutJO Edition
This week's report begins in Jordan, where Internet activists have staged a website blackout in protest of amendments to law that would require websites to obtain licenses and bear legal responsibility for user comments. From there, we move on to Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar and beyond.
Hong Kong: Advocacy Group Pressed Candidates of the Legislature to Reveal Position on Free Speech and Information Policy
In order to press the members of the 2012-2016 Legislative Council to defend freedom of speech and free flow of information, Hong Kong In-Media, a local advocacy group for promoting citizen media practice issued a questionnaire to all candidates, asking them to reveal their position. The election date of the...
