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 been ranked among the worst countries of the world on that index; Pakistan was among the 10 worst countries of the 65 surveyed in the 2019 Freedom on the Net report.”
human rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies: 70 printed issues of Rowaq Arabi now available online
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies: 70 printed issues of Rowaq Arabi now available online. “The Rowaq Arabi journal, as a platform for rights advocates and researchers, seeks to understand the political, social, economic, cultural, and historical contexts, as well as international and regional factors, that influence respect for human rights. The journal offers in-depth discussions and analyses of human rights policies and developments in the Middle East and North Africa, utilizing approaches drawn from the social sciences, humanities, and law. It is also a space for the discussion of new developments related to international and regional instruments for the protection of human rights.”
University of Nottingham: Major new database reveals slavery is still not illegal in half the world’s countries
University of Nottingham: Major new database reveals slavery is still not illegal in half the world’s countries. “A new global review of antislavery legislation has busted a popular misconception that slavery is now illegal in every country in the world. The Antislavery in Domestic Legislation Database has been compiled over the past five years and is launched today at the United Nations headquarters by the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab in partnership with the Castan Centre for Human Rights (Monash University, Australia).”
The Guardian: Internet to be partially restored in Kashmir but social media ban stays
The Guardian: Internet to be partially restored in Kashmir but social media ban stays. “Internet is to be partially restored in Kashmir after an unprecedented five-month blackout, but only for institutions providing ‘essential services’, while social media sites will still be banned.”
Ars Technica: Indian Supreme Court finds 150-day Internet blackout in Kashmir illegal
Ars Technica: Indian Supreme Court finds 150-day Internet blackout in Kashmir illegal. “The Indian region of Kashmir has had most Internet service blacked out since August. The government of Narendra Modi says the online blackout is a necessary security measure in the face of growing unrest in the region triggered by a change in Kashmir’s status under the Indian constitution. (Kashmir’s status within India has been a topic of controversy for decades.)… But on Friday, India’s highest court rejected the government’s rationale, arguing that the blackout violated Indian telecommunications laws.”
Wired: Iran Tensions Increase Social Media Surveillance at the US Border
Wired: Iran Tensions Increase Social Media Surveillance at the US Border. “Just days after the United States assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, US Customs and Border Protection reportedly detained more than 60 Iranian Americans and Iranians, including children, at the US–Canada border. Multiple sources present claim that while some of those detained were held, in certain cases for up to 10 hours, CBP confiscated some of their phones, ordered them to hand over their social media passwords, and questioned them about their political views and social media activity.”
Bangladesh: Online Surveillance, Control (Human Rights Watch)
Human Rights Watch: Bangladesh: Online Surveillance, Control. “Bangladesh authorities are blocking access to online news sites in violation of the right to free speech and access to information, Human Rights Watch said today. The government has also adopted advanced methods to block or conduct surveillance on internet traffic and regulate online news sites without a sufficient legal framework to protect rights to privacy, expression, and access to information.”
