Stories about Censorship from March, 2017
Back in the USSR?: Critics Say Draft Legislation Puts State Above Rights in Kazakhstan
"Can we designate people that leave their rubbish bags lying around outside their apartment doors enemies of state interests and remove their citizenships?"
The Internet Blackout in English-Speaking Cameroon Continues
How and why Cameroon has denied internet access to its English-speaking population.
Thai Junta's Media Regulator Suspends Voice TV for ‘Unreasonable Criticism’ and ‘Biased Content’
"Even though Voice TV may provide different views, we insist that the contents do not harm national security."
Iranians See Arrests and Intimidation of Telegram Administrators and Journalists Ahead of the Elections
Revolutionary Guards have previously attempted to limit Telegram's free flow of information with arrests for immoral or obscene content. This is the first time crackdowns have focused on political affiliation.
Young Iranian Faces Execution Over ‘Anti-Islamic’ Social Media Posts
"Sina's grandfather was a martyr of the eight-year war. Sina himself served two years. Sina has more rights to this country than most of these authorities."
In Kyrgyzstan, Media Facing Pressure from a Fearful President
A series of civil suits launched by the state prosecutor have seemingly targeted media for quoting the government's critics.
Netizen Report: Why Did YouTube Censor Your Videos? You May Never Know.
A Brazilian blogger is forced to identify his sources, Iran cracks down on speech pre-election, and Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission hears testimony from bloggers persecuted under Ben Ali.
Is Kazakhstan's President a Dictator? You Decide.
In a recent discussion with a hand-picked selection of journalists, Nazarbayev took pains to explain why Asian societies aren't always suited to democracy.
UAE Authorities Arrest One Rights Activist and Extend the Detention of Another
On 20 March police arrested human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor from his home. Meanwhile, UAE authorities have refused to release Osama al-Najjar, despite him having served out his prison sentence.
‘Those Who Tortured Him [Should] Tell Us the Truth': Tunisian Commission Hears Net Freedom Testimonies From Dictatorship
The Truth and Dignity Commission is investigating rights abuses committed during the dictatorship era, including internet freedom violations.
Alleged Attacks on Online Media Follow the Tragic Death by Fire of Young Women in Guatemala
A local media outlet that published testimonies of some of the victims of the shelter fire suffered a DDoS attack.
Netizen Report: Azerbaijani Bloggers Targeted with Legal Threats, Spearphishing
Censorship is up in France, China is censoring scientists (again), and Facebook tells developers to stop using network data for surveillance.
Disney’s New ‘Gay Moment’ Outrages Religious Conservatives in Malaysia and Singapore
Religious groups and state censors in Singapore and Malaysia are unhappy about the live-action remake of Disney's “Beauty and the Beast,” because of a “gay moment” in the film.
In Kyrgyzstan, Prosecutors Sue Media for Offending President
"By advising him to sue internet publications, they are really doing him a bad turn."
Chinese Scientists Speak Out Against the Great Firewall (Again)
'...it takes at least 10-20 second to access a page. Sometimes it takes more than half an hour to access some university websites…'
Russia Adds First-Ever Foreign Messaging App to Federal Registry
For the first time ever, Russia’s federal censor, Roskomnadzor, has added a foreign online messenger to its “Registry of Information-Dissemination Organizers,” targeting the Swiss company Threema.
In China's Shadow: Will Taiwanese Universities Sell Out Academic Freedom?
A combination of political and economic pressures at local universities are laying the ground for an unsettling compromise.
