Stories about Censorship from November, 2016
Alipay’s New App Abuses Personal Data and Reinforces China's Class Divisions, Critics Say
"Even if the company needs to expand into social media, it should use a better means rather than being so shameless."
Internet Freedom Declines in Russia and Ukraine, Improves in Belarus
Russia, Belarus and the Central Asian states were all rated "not free" in Freedom House's 2016 "Freedom on the Web" report.
Bold Film About an Indian Woman's Sexual Awakening Accused of Pardoning Pedophilia
"In a country where women and kids are often subjected to violent crimes, this normalization of an aggressive act becomes even more problematic."
From Tehran to Manhattan, One Fashion Shoot at a Time
Had fashion photographer Kourosh Sotoodeh pursued his profession in Iran, he might well have been among those arrested in recent crackdowns. Luckily for him, he made it to New York.
Independent Report Offers Troubling Findings on Digital Rights in Ecuador
Ecuadorean digital platforms Mil Hojas and Usuarios Digitales present an alternative report to UN Human Rights Council as part of Universal Periodic Review on human rights.
Brazilian Activists Outsmart Facebook's Censorship of the Female Nipple
"What are the real differences between one portrait and another? What is offensive in one nipple that isn't in the other?"
Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri Bans Photojournalist for this ‘Unofficial’ Photo
Hussein Baydoun was barred from photographing the PM after this image was published. Photographs he took during last year's ‘you stink’ protests against government corruption were featured in numerous outlets.
Brazil Superior Court Rules in Google's Favor, Against ‘Right to Be Forgotten’
The court ruled that forcing search engines to adjudicate removal requests would give too much responsibility to search engines, effectively making them into digital censors.
Netizen Report: Trump Win Triggers Safety and Surveillance Fears
US activists weather wave of post-election social media harassment, Ethiopia blocks Global Voices, and the UK finally passes the much-maligned Snoopers Charter.
Chinese Authorities Execute an Anti-Land Seizure Folk Hero for Murder
"He is no criminal...He was just taking up his role as a man to safeguard his family. But the excavators have been ruining Chinese people’s homes…"
Cameroonian Government Launches Campaign Against Social Media, Calls It “A New Form of Terrorism”
The government of Cameroon considers social media “a new form of terrorism.”
Chinese State Media CEO Challenges Tencent’s Power Over Online News
Xu, who has 33 years of experience working in media, is now openly expressing concern that Internet corporates may soon be more powerful than the state and the party.
Turkey Continues to Arrest Kurdish Politicians, Restrict Internet Use
"What was done tonight is not only a coup but also an operation to separate the country!"
‘We Will Not Surrender': Opposition Voices Rally to Support Turkey's Besieged Media
Yet another independent media outlet in post-coup attempt Turkey is on the brink.
Chinese Activist Who Wore ‘Xitler’ T-Shirt Goes Missing in Detention
"He’s one of a very small number of young Chinese who have been outspoken in criticising the Chinese government on Twitter using their real names."
Demystifying Social Media Censorship — in Arabic, Spanish and English
Social media platforms have terms of use that restrict several types of content including nudity, hate speech, and violence. But these difficult-to-define rules are always subject to interpretation.
Iran’s Keywan Karimi: The Filmmaker as Graffiti Artist
Working under threat of imprisonment for practicing his craft, Iranian filmmaker Keywan Karimi has turned the difficult conditions of artistic production into an aesthetic.
‘My Life for Iran': The 4th Anniversary of Iranian Activist Sattar Beheshti's Death
Sattar Beheshti has come to embody the spirit of resistance in Iran, in an ongoing struggle against freedom of expression and government repression.
Netizen Report: Will Indonesians Enjoy the ‘Right to Be Forgotten’?
As Indonesians question a broad-reaching Right to Be Forgotten, Turkey blocks the Internet in Kurdistan, Vodafone lands in Iran, and Sweden takes a swipe at drone cameras.
