Featured stories about Censorship
Stories about Censorship
12 December 2019
Ethiopia: Stop hate speech, not free speech
Ethiopia's new hate speech bill aims to "tackle the erosion of the nation’s social cohesion, political stability and national unity." But digital rights advocates say it threatens democracy.
4 December 2019
Join Global Voices’ #WritingTowardFreedom Twitter chat on December 11, 2019
How has ethnic hate speech, mis- and disinformation and internet shutdowns become insidious threats to online freedom of expression in Africa? Join us for this discussion in a Twitter chat.
2 December 2019
‘They call for my slaughter': Somali atheists living in fear
The Somali atheist community spans the globe, while many others remain “in the closet,” hiding their beliefs for fear of repercussions. An estimated 1.2 million seek solace online, using pseudonyms.
29 November 2019
China's new media world order: Interview with Cédric Alviani from Reporters Without Borders East Asia
Beijing trains foreign journalists in “language elements” to get them to “speak the same language” as Chinese outlets.
Inside Kashmir's internet blockade: Video report with Kashmiri students affected by the crisis
48,000 High school students in Kashmir appear for public examination amidst complete internet blockage in the region.
Melanesian journalists decry growing threats against media freedom
"Melanesian governments cannot pay lip service to international conventions and commitments to democratic freedoms and in the same breath issue orders to clamp down on journalists' right to expression."
28 November 2019
Nigeria's social media bill will obliterate online freedom of expression
The proposed social media bill will annihilate online freedom of expression, criminalize criticism of the government and legalize internet shutdowns in Nigeria.
Tanzanian rapper scolded for lyrics about nation's cashew crisis
Roma Mkatoliki's hit song criticizes the government's 2018 decision to deploy the military to purchase cashew nuts from farmers in an attempt to force an increase in market price.
‘Suspension won’t silence me’: Teen speaks out after embedding message about Xinjiang Uyghurs in TikTok makeup tutorial
Feroza Aziz used a makeup tutorial as a disguise to criticise China's treatment of Uyghurs on Tiktok.
26 November 2019
Why is Central Europe leaning towards illiberal democracy? Interview with Czech author Radka Denemarková
"My biggest hope was that we would adopt the Western democratic values. Yet what we took from the West after 1989 was a model of consumerism and not a democratic...
22 November 2019
In Ethiopia’s disinformation epidemic, the crumbling ruling coalition is the elephant in the room
As acts of communal violence that took place in Oromia in October subsided, a new battle began online over interpretations of the violence — and who was to blame.
Bosnian journalists demand justice in case of journalist threatened and assaulted by hooligans
The journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina are hoping that the judiciary in their country will finally start to systematically address the issue of journalists' safety.
21 November 2019
In Russia, individuals can now be branded ‘foreign agents’
The latest amendments expand the definition of "foreign agent" to individuals, at the discretion of the Ministry of Justice, which already maintains online lists of "foreign agent" media outlets and...
19 November 2019
130 civil society groups call on Myanmar military to drop charges against civilians
"The military are the government’s staff. If they are doing wrong, citizens have a right to point it out. Citizens have a right to speak out,”
18 November 2019
Some foreign correspondents were denied entry to Putin’s press conference in Budapest
Like Hungarian journalists critical of the government, foreign journalists working in the country are now facing an information blockade.
15 November 2019
Malaysian writer faces probe after publishing a book about her decision to not wear a hijab
"It is important for us to remind the government that freedom of expression is not a crime and freedom of religious beliefs is not an insult to Islam."
12 November 2019
Hong Kong activists denounce court ban on ‘violent’ content as a threat to internet freedom
Internet Society Hong Kong will file a judicial review against an interim injunction prohibiting anyone from posting, re-posting and aiding the dissemination of information that promotes violence.
11 November 2019
Putin announces plan to ‘replace’ Wikipedia
The publishing house behind the Great Russian Encyclopedia has allocated two billion rubles (over $30 million) aimed at developing a “domestic equivalent” to Wikipedia by the end of 2022.
10 November 2019
Netizen Report: Domestic worker abuses in the Gulf expose tech companies’ failures to protect human rights
Tech companies grapple with abuses against domestic workers, Iraqis face another internet shutdown, and Russia gets ready for a 'sovereign internet.'
8 November 2019
Chechen leader suggests killing users who ‘insult honour’ online
For several years, human rights defenders have consistently cited Chechnya as one of Russia's most repressive regions, citing widespread torture, disappearances, and a complete intolerance of dissent.
