Washington Post: It wasn’t just the National Archives. The Library of Congress also balked at a Women’s March photo.. “The Library of Congress abandoned plans last year to showcase a mural-size photograph of demonstrators at the 2017 Women’s March in Washington because of concerns it would be perceived as critical of President Trump, according to emails obtained by The Washington Post.”
authoritarianism
New Atlas: Social media surveillance drives 2019 drop in global internet freedom
New Atlas: Social media surveillance drives 2019 drop in global internet freedom. “An annual report tracking internet freedom across the world has found global declines for the ninth consecutive year. Underpinned by domestic election interference and social media surveillance, the report identified internet freedom deterioration in more than half of the 65 countries assessed.”
Engadget: China internet rules call for algorithms that recommend ‘positive’ content
Engadget: China internet rules call for algorithms that recommend ‘positive’ content. “China is once more tightening its grip on internet content, and this time algorithms are in the spotlight. The Cyberspace Administration of China has published upcoming rules that dictate how internet companies manage content, including a push for recommendation algorithms that promote ‘positive’ ideas (read: government policies) while excluding ‘bad’ material.”
France24: In Algeria, political cartoonists turn to social media to protest repression
France24: In Algeria, political cartoonists turn to social media to protest repression. “Since the beginning of the popular protest movement in Algeria, press cartoonists have supported it by publishing their satirical images on social networks. But after the conviction of one of their own and the election of Abdelmadjid Tebboune as president, they fear increased repression.”
Outlook India: Govts using new tactics to confuse social media dissidents
Outlook India: Govts using new tactics to confuse social media dissidents. “Governments the world over are learning new tactics to quash dissent on various social media platforms, responding with tweets designed to distract and confuse like longer hashtags, according to a team of political scientists.”
Michigan Engineer News Center: New tool combats evolving internet censorship methods
Michigan Engineer News Center: New tool combats evolving internet censorship methods. “Over half of Internet users globally now live in countries that block political, social, or religious content online. On top of that, the many popular tools and techniques for circumventing this censorship have been made ineffective by new methods used to block them or the infrastructure they rely on. Refraction Networking, an approach pioneered by Michigan researchers, is one of the most promising new approaches to circumventing these measures.”
Slate: Is Hong Kong the Battleground for a New Cyber Cold War?
Slate: Is Hong Kong the Battleground for a New Cyber Cold War?. ” In Hong Kong, where Beijing’s political sovereignty does not come with direct control over the internet or local police, Beijing is reluctant to active the most draconian option: deployment of the People’s Liberation Army to keep order in Hong Kong’s streets. While this could be done lawfully, it would be catastrophic—for global investor confidence, the regime’s credibility, and the assets of party elites and state-backed firms that rely on Hong Kong’s financial institutions. Instead, Beijing is exploring other options.”
