Stories about Censorship from November, 2015
Bangladesh Keeps Blocking Social Media, Threatens New Surveillance Tactics
With the lack of accountability shown by the government, a move towards more stringent controls of the Internet is worrying for the state of free expression in the country.
Armed Police Provide Intimidating Backdrop for Serbian Interior Minister's Press Conference
"This is a way of openly calling for persecution and lynching of individual journalists and directly puts their safety at risk"
Singaporeans Can Now Legally Own and Read ‘Fanny Hill’, but Playboy Is Still Banned
The government lifted the ban for 240 publications but 17 titles remain prohibited for being obscene or contrary to public interest.
‘If There Is One Thing the Angolan Government Is Scared of, It Is People’
Read part two of an interview with Laurinda Gouveia, who is accused of inciting rebellion against the Angolan government for participating in a book group.
Iranian Cartoonist Who Drew Sadness of Paris Attacks Jailed
It's not the first time Iranian cartoonist Hadi Heidari has been a target for arrest.
Chinese Netizens Have Their Own Version of Thanksgiving: Fried Rice With Egg Day
"Sixty-five years ago, a plate of fried rice with egg changed the fate of China. We would have become North Korea without this dish (although the two are becoming alike)."
With Messaging Apps Still Banned, Bangladeshis Turn to Tor (and Twitter)
It is not clear whether the government has blocked the Facebook portal or banned the use of Facebook altogether.
An Interview With Laurinda Gouveia, a Young Woman Charged With Conspiring Against the Angolan Government
"Even today, physically, I bear physical evidence of this beating. And, obviously, my way of looking at these men is not the same as it was before..."
How the Ruling Oligarchy Imperils Japanese Democracy
How committed is Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo to Japan's national defense, and what does that mean for the country's Constitution?
‘Charlie Hebdo’ Tweets Are Now Banned Throughout Russia
A municipal court in Chechnya has banned the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's Twitter account. In accordance with Russian federal law, the ban is effective nationwide.
New Ukrainian Police Banned from Using Russian Social Networks
VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, the top Russian social network sites hugely popular in Ukraine, are now off limits for Ukrainian police officers.
Five Top Tweets: Iranians Ridicule Censorship on the ‘Filternet’
Iranian Internet users hurled sarcasm, profanity and snark at the country's "filternet" after recent blocking of the Telegram messaging app.
Netizen Report: Bangladesh Bans Facebook and Chat Apps on ‘Security Grounds’
Bangladesh accidentally shuts down the Internet, hip-hop gets the boot on Chinese streaming sites, and Twitter faces new data dilemmas in Russia.
Mexico’s Cybercrime Bill is Dead. But What Will Lawmakers Think of Next?
A Mexican senator proposed legislation that many experts warned would have harmed privacy and free speech online in Mexico. A week later, after the public's backlash, he withdrew it.
New Bill Urges Ban on WhatsApp and Google for Russian Officials
Banning the use of foreign services such as Google, Yahoo!, and WhatApp for Russian state officials is key to preserving confidentiality of state secrets, says one Russian lawmaker.
When China Briefly Unblocked Facebook, Trolls Rushed In
"I wish this precious experience can help our 'new friends' see a full picture of Taiwan's democracy, freedom and diversity. Welcome, all of you, to the world of Facebook!"
Inside Big Brother: How Russians Created the ‘Red Web’
In a special report for RuNet Echo, Darya Luganskaya speaks to Andrei Soldatov about his new book with Irina Borogan about the past, present, and future of Russian Internet censorship.
Russian Lawmaker Suggests Banning Telegram Messenger ‘Because It's Used by ISIS’
Should Telegram be banned because it's used by extremist organizations such as ISIS? One Russian lawmaker believes it should, but plenty of others in Russia disagree.
International Tribunal Reopens Indonesia's ‘Forgotten Genocide’
The Indonesian government is accused of orchestrating an anti-communist purge that killed at least half a million people. What kind of reconciliation is possible today?
Russia Changes Its Mind, Asks Twitter to Store Russian User Data Locally
Previously, Roscomnadzor had said Twitter was exempt from the norms of the data localization law as the kind of user data Twitter collects did not qualify as “personal information."
Four Tanzanians Charged for Publishing Political Information on WhatsApp
Four other Tanzanians have been arrested and charged for political comments they made using the messaging service WhatsApp.
