Stories about Advox from April, 2015
VIDEO: The World Is Saying #FreeZone9Bloggers
Global Voices marks the one-year anniversary of the arrest of Ethiopia's Zone9 bloggers with this crowd-sourced this video of support. Say it with us: #FreeZone9Bloggers!
“Take the Right Side in the Struggle of the Oppressed”: A Letter to John Kerry from Kilinto Prison, Ethiopia
In a letter to John Kerry, jailed Ethiopian blogger Natnael Feleke writes: "Because of the repressive regime, the Ethiopian constitution is powerless to protect citizens from being abused."
A Year After Their Arrest, Ethiopia's Zone9 Bloggers Remain Strong and Determined
"It is eery the degree to which the bloggers seemed to anticipate their current fate."
In Taiwan and on Facebook, the Nipple is Not Yet Free
"Before we label it as "indecent" and "obscene", a body is just a body, a part of the human self." Taiwanese women speak up for the #FreeTheNipple campaign.
Angola: Award-Winning Journalist Faces Trial Over ‘Blood Diamonds’ Investigation
Jonathan McCully contributed to this report. Last month, Rafael Marques de Morais was awarded the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award for Journalism for his “impactful, original, and unwavering investigative journalism” in his home country of Angola. Tomorrow, he will face trial on multiple charges of criminal defamation because of...
Ellery Biddle is Global Voices’ New Advocacy Director
Announcing Global Voices' new Advocacy Director!
Singaporean Teenager Arrested for Making Videos Deemed ‘Offensive’
"Apart from the problems of using handcuffs on minors, is this really a proportional response to a YouTube video?"
Vietnamese Netizens Are Getting Bolder Online, Despite Tough Laws
"Thanks to social media it has become possible and even trendsetting to publicly question the Communist Party’s legitimacy."
Protecting Personal Data in Argentina Is a Work in Progress
In an article for online magazine Digital Rights: Latin America & The Caribbean, No.21, Argentinean lawyer Valeria Milanés explains that even though the United States is a world leader in data processing, it does not have legislation for the protection of personal data. The US is also considered to have “an inadequate level of protection...
How Blogging is Held Hostage by Ethiopian Politics
"Why is there just a single—and poorly functioning—Internet service provider for Ethiopia’s 90 million people? We know better than to ask this of public officials."
Malaysian Cartoonist Vows to Continue Fighting Government Abuses Despite Sedition Charges
"I will not keep quiet. How can I be neutral, even my pen has a stand!"
Tanzania's Cyber Crime Bill Gives More Power to Police, Less to People
Leading opponents of the legislation from civil society say they will take the government to court if the president signs the bill into law.
New Internet Rules in China Target Usernames, Avatars as Subversive Tools
More than 67,000 user accounts have been deleted due to a new rule that prohibits screen names and profile pictures that threaten national security, destroy ethnic unity, or defame others.
What Does Censoring Nude Art Say About Us and Our Social Networks?
This post is the first in a series exploring the different ways in which artists face censorship online. Our base will be the experience of Venezuelan artist Erika Ordisgotti.
Google Denies Russian Media Claims on Data Localization Move
Google representatives have denied Russian media reports that Google was bowing to Russia's demands and moving to store Russian users' data on servers inside the country, calling them "inaccurate."
Iran's Minister of ICT Suggests Instagram Will Not Be (Completely) Blocked Until an Alternative Is Found
Iran's leading reformist newspaper, Shargh, ran an article this past Sunday entitled: “The promises of the Minister of ICT to clear the problems of mobile social media.” The focus of Iran's Minister of Information and Communication Technology Mahmoud Vaezi was the filtering status of popular mobile applications, with a particular...
An Aggressive Turn in Chinese Censorship Practices: ‘The Great Cannon’
"It is likely that this attack, with its potential for political backlash, would require the approval of high-level authorities within the Chinese government."
Malaysia’s New Law Targets Online Sedition
"This latest curtailment of freedom of expression further restricts public discourse and will create a void in Malaysian social media and a deafening silence in news forums."
Are Google and eBay Bowing to the Kremlin's Data Localization Demands?
Google and eBay may be caving to Russia's data localization law, a move that would leave users even more vulnerable to state surveillance than they are today.
Is Global Voices Blocked in Iran? Yes and No.
Globalvoicesonline.org is now blocked in Iran. But you can outsmart these Internet filters and access our site by adding "https://" to the beginning of the URL. What's up with that?
Are the World's Biggest Internet Companies Under the Turkish President's Thumb?
Turkey's ruling party is becoming accustomed to getting its way more often than not in its long-running war on social media users.
