Renata Avila

Lawyer, Lead of Creative Commons Guatemala, co – leading the initiative “Technology for Transparency Network” https://transparency.globalvoicesonline.org/ and advocating for free speech anytime, anywhere.

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Latest posts by Renata Avila

Government Critic Arrested on Drug Charges in Mexico

  12 August 2013

Supporters suspect that Gustavo Maldonado was arrested in retaliation for his online activities. Just hours before his arrest on a small-scale drug charge, Maldonado posted a YouTube video accusing local officials of corruption.

MERCOSUR and the Future of the Internet in Latin America

  15 July 2013

Last Friday, Latin American government leaders issued a strong statement against the mass surveillance of their citizens by the US government at an emergency meeting of MERCOSUR. Activists, academics and NGOs from Latin America wrote an open letter to the regional alliance, inviting leaders to consult with civil society in building human rights-protective Internet policies for the region.

Mexico: Advocates Demand Investigation of FinFisher Spyware

  21 June 2013

Human rights activists and journalists in Mexico are demanding an investigation of the possible use of FinFisher surveillance software in Mexico. Advocates suspect that the software has been used to spy on journalists and activists in the country.

#FreeRod: Preliminary Victory in Chilean Twitter Parody Case

  21 April 2013

A court in Chile has dismissed claims against Chilean Twitter user Rodrigo Ferrari, who was facing prosecution for operating a Twitter account that parodied millionaire Andrónico Luksic. The decision is not final and may be reviewed by the Court of Appeals, but it is a good sign for the future of online free expression in Chile.

#FreeRod: Chilean Twitter User Faces Trial for Parody

  5 March 2013

Chilean billionaire Andrónico Luksic has accused Twitter user Rodrigo Ferrari of “usurpation of identity” for running an account that mocked Luksic. If Ferrari is found guilty, the case could set a disturbing precedent for both free expression and privacy in Chile.

Open letter to Marissa Mayer: HTTPS for all Yahoo! communications services now!

  23 November 2012

After the celebrated appointment of Marisa Mayer as CEO of Yahoo!, the new leadership has the opportunity to fix an urgent matter: Yahoo! Mail is the only major web-based e-mail service that continues to rely on insecure connections. Google enabled default Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), a widely used communications protocol...

The Public Voice: Privacy Rights are a Global Challenge

  22 October 2012

October 22, 2012 is an important day for global civil society defending privacy and free speech. The Public Voice coalition will be hosting a global conference in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and you are invited to take part in the conversation and interact with the panelists. You can follow the...

Paraguay: ISPs Block News Website Without Warrant

  27 September 2012

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.

Assange Asylum Granted After Threats from UK Authorities

  16 August 2012

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.

Costa Rica: Cybercrime Law Threatens Internet Freedom

  20 July 2012

Costa Rica just passed Law 9048, which includes reforms to the country’s Criminal Code to create new cybercrime offenses, including rules against illegal access and interception of communications. Journalists and internet freedom activists are trying to modify the most controversial part of the law which criminalizes the publication of State secrets, the use of any form of e-impersonification and the spread of false news.