Stories about Censorship from July, 2015
German Digital Rights Pioneers Investigated for Treason
The last time a German journalist was charged with treason was in 1962, when the editor-in-chief of Der Spiegel was prosecuted for publishing secret documents about the German defense forces.
Azerbaijan's Political Prisoners, the State and its Secret Society
What is with the rows of passive spectators literally taking up space at the trials of the country's most high-profile political prisoners?
How China's Online Civilization Army Turned a Youth Street Fight into a Patriotic Struggle
"They just pick quarrels and fights all day long. Today vow to execute this and tomorrow execute someone else. Such patriotism is not loving one's country but hating one's country."
Russian Censors Threaten to Shut Down Business Website for Writing About Bitcoin
Officials today told a Russian business-news website that it must delete or edit within the next three days an article it published about bitcoins.
Russia to Web Anonymizers: Shut Up and Go Away
Russian censors are now officially adding anonymizing websites to their blacklist registry, on the grounds they enable access to extremist content that is already blocked in Russia.
As Ukraine Bans Russian TV Shows for ‘Propaganda,’ Local Channels Put Up a Fight
With Ukraine banning a number of Russian TV shows that "glorify the Russian government, military, and law enforcement," Ukrainian television channels are already looking for loopholes in the new legislation.
Russia Says Twitter Doesn’t Need to Comply With Its New Data-Localization Law
State officials have announced that Twitter can ignore a new law coming into force that will require online services to store all Russian user data on servers located inside Russia.
Russia's Internet Censor Threatens New YouTube Block
Roscomnadzor says the latest block, spurred by uploaded unauthorized copies of two Russian TV shows, may make all of YouTube unavailable to some RuNet users at the end of July.
The Kremlin's Favorite Pundit Is Waging War on Facebook
Russian news anchor Dmitry Kiselyov, famous for his vociferously pro-Kremlin punditry, recently appeared, disappeared, and reappeared on Facebook and Instagram. RuNet Echo explains what that means for Russia.
China Blocks Telegram Messenger for ‘Aiding Rights Advocates’
Chinese state-run newspaper People's Daily accused Telegram of aiding human-rights lawyers and advocates, who allegedly used the app and its "Secret Chat" mode to engage in “anti-government" activity.
President Putin Signs Russian ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Into Law
Vladimir Putin signed the "right to be forgotten" search engine law into force, while publicly coming out in support of "minimal restrictions" for the Russian Internet.
Psychologist Leaves St. Petersburg University After Pressure from Anti-LGBT Group
The St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University has dissolved a sex-change medical board, and apparently fired Dmitry Isaev, the doctor who headed the commission, following an anti-LGBT campaign.
Arrests of Sunni Extremists in Bahrain Go Unnoticed
Bahraini authorities have arrested several ISIS members in the kingdom amid a media blackout. ISIS supporters take to Twitter to threaten the government.
Ethiopians React to Bloggers’ Release With Compassion, Criticism
Supporters of the Zone9 blogging collective are expressing both joy and bitterness at the release of some -- but not all -- of the bloggers from prison last week.
Russian Social Networks Start Courting Russian Users Sick of Censorship on Facebook
Following several scandals in Russia and Ukraine, where Facebook has censored dozens of popular bloggers, Russia is now witnessing an effort to recruit people back to homegrown social networks.
Journalists Arrested for Covering Cairo Car Bomb Explosion outside the Italian Centre
One man was killed and several journalists were arrested after a car bomb explosion outside the Italian Centre in downtown Cairo today.
Serbian Authorities Take Control of A Man's Facebook Account Following Alleged Threats Against PM Vucic
Police in Serbia seemed to have overstepped boundaries in search and seizure proceedings, taking over a personal Facebook account without a court order.
Legalizing the Great Firewall: China's New Cyber Security Law Would Codify Censorship, Shutdowns
A new comprehensive cyber security law in China would legalize censorship, authorize network shutdowns, and make real-name registration mandatory.
ISIS Hacks Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Website and Threatens its Director
The ISIS cyber army has allegedly hacked the website of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog on July 8, 2015, and threatened its Syrian director, Rami Abdelrahman, for his...
Moscow Street Musicians Tape Their Mouths Shut to Protest Police Pressure
Moscow street musicians are protesting what they say are illegal police detentions and exorbitant fines that violate their artistic rights and freedoms.
Five Ethiopian Journalists Freed From Prison, But Others Remain Behind Bars
Alongside an outpouring of joy and disbelief over the bloggers' release, supporters urged each other to keep "tantrummin" until there are no more journalists jailed in Ethiopia.