BBC: The Instagrammers who worry Iran. “As the only major social media network not blocked by the government, Instagram is a popular platform for young Iranians to express themselves. This has created a dilemma for the government, which experts say is loath to block the tool for fear of provoking unrest, hampering business owners who […]
The Conversation: Artificial intelligence is a totalitarian’s dream – here’s how to take power back . “Every hell starts with a promise of heaven. AI-led totalitarianism will be no different. Freedom will become obedience to the state. Only the irrational, spiteful or subversive could wish to chose their own path. To prevent such a dystopia, […]
CNN: Four Hong Kong student activists arrested for ‘secession’ over social media posts. “Police in Hong Kong have arrested four members of a student-led pro-independence group for suspected secessionist offenses on social media under the city’s sweeping new national security law. The arrests are among the first since the law was imposed on the city […]
Reuters: Hong Kong Tiananmen museum turns to digitalisation after new law. “A Hong Kong museum chronicling the crackdown by Chinese troops on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square is raising funds to digitalise its collection as concerns over a new national security law create uncertainty over its future.”
Harvard International Review: Social Media: Threat to or Tool of Authoritarianism?. “Given the growing weight of social media’s influence on society, the key question is whether social media will become a sentinel against systematic oppression and injustice, effectively posing a serious challenge to authoritarian regimes. In the case of China, while social media may not […]
CNBC: Zoom will no longer allow Chinese government requests to impact users outside mainland China . “Video-calling service Zoom said Thursday it will not comply with requests from the Chinese government to suspend hosts or block people from meetings if those people are not located in mainland China.”
North Africa Journal: Egypt: Female social media influencers under attack. “Young Egyptian women with thousands of followers each on the popular TikTok app have become the latest target of state authorities who accuse them of spreading ‘immorality’ in society. Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2014, hundreds of journalists, activists, lawyers and […]
International Business Times: After Silencing Coronavirus Whistleblowers, China Now Detains Citizens Documenting Outbreak. “Doriane Lau, from Hong Kong, is a researcher for Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy organization that was formed in 1961. She told the Financial Times about the Chinese Communist government, ‘The [Chinese] government has been trying to control the circulation of […]
Slate: Vietnam’s Government Is Using COVID-19 to Crack Down on Freedom of Expression. “Though many Asian nations are dealing with very serious outbreaks, Vietnam appears to be one of the most successful in halting the spread of the infection. As of May 8, it has reported just 288 cases, 241 recoveries, and a remarkable zero […]
Balkan Insight: Turkish Plan to Muzzle Social Media Delayed by Pandemic. “As Turkey, like the rest of the world, struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, its government plans to take another step to further restrict digital rights in the country. A draft law will create new responsibilities for answering the government’s demands on their content for […]
The Diplomat: Pakistan’s Government and Military Are Crushing Dissent on Social Media. “Even before the new rules, the digital situation in Pakistan was already quite authoritarian. That can easily be conveyed by the ranking given to Pakistan in the Freedom on the Net report compiled annually by Freedom House. For many years, the country has […]
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 […]
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. “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 […]
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 […]