Stories about Censorship from September, 2024
Russia’s hybrid book censorship and propagandistic agenda
The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, among other books, are suspected of spreading “LGBT propaganda.”
Censorship in the modern world
Communication expert from Bosnia and Herzegovina warns that "censorship through noise" blurs the distinction between fact-based reporting and completely fabricated information.
GV webinar: The ABCs of digital repression in Venezuela
In this webinar, we explored the Venezuelan regime's "package" of digital repression instruments, how they have evolved, and analyze how they have been used after the last presidential.
Taiwan's ‘Iron Man of Asia’ is brought back into the limelight in a new documentary film
Taiwan's first silver medal at any Olympic Games remains an unknown figure, but a new documentary is shedding light on the 'Iron Man of Asia' of the 1960s.
Ecuador: Two journalists who revealed corruption and drug trafficking forced into exile
Journalists of the digital media platform La Posta accuse the National Police and the Attorney General's Office of planning to "assassinate" them while they receive criticism concerning their journalistic ethics.
‘Truth deserves to be seen’: Artists decry film censorship in the Philippines
Two Philippine films were given X-ratings, and therefore banned from airing in theaters, angering cinephiles and free-speech activists alike.
What does data governance mean to you? Join us for an online discussion on September 30
Connected Conversations is a series of informal, virtual discussion sessions focused on the principles of collective, democratic, participatory, and deliberative data governance.
How did a Hong Kong judge find media outlet Stand News a seditious ‘tool’ to smear Beijing?
The appointed judge said: The line [Stand News] took was to support and promote HK autonomy. It became a tool to smear and vilify the Central Authorities and HK Government.
Does ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ conquer the game world with its free spirit or China’s soft power?
Some believe that China's desire to promote its soft power has contributed to the game's popularity, others see the creating team's will to confront the destiny of the gaming sector.
VenApp, the Chavista app co-opted for harassment in Venezuela
Nicolás Maduro's regime uses an app for doxxing to expose citizens and illegally detain them, violating the rights of Venezuelans who demand transparency in the results of the presidential election.
‘Crisis and revival of the Tatar national movement’: An interview with opposition media editor
Tatar publicist and editor-in-chief of the magazine Poistine, Ruslan Aysin is facing criminal charges in Russia for “rehabilitating Nazism.” This is retaliation for his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine.
Paralympics ceremony in Syria faces backlash and censorship amid accusations of paganism
The use of an Olympic torch at Idlib’s Paralympics ceremony led to backlash from extremist groups and the suspension of the event.
Georgian lawmakers inch closer to final approval of anti-LGBTQ+ law
Critics have pointed out that laws like the one adopted by Russia in 2013 to “protect children from information advocating a denial of traditional family values” have also increased hate crimes.
Ahead of its controversial elections, Tunisia bans magazine Jeune Afrique for criticizing the president
With most opposition candidates arrested or banned, and Jeune Afrique censored, Tunisia’s upcoming elections signal a bleak future for its democracy.
China’s top nationalist influencer Hu Xijin silenced for over a month, but very few miss him
Hu Xijin, the former chief editor of the Chinese-state-funded Global Times and a prominent nationalist commentator, has been quiet on social media for over one month, since he critiqued party policy.
Georgian Dream Party vows to ban opposition if they win parliamentary majority
Speaking at the opening of the new head quarters of the ruling party, it's founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili threatened legal sanctions against opposition figures following the vote.
The election dance in Azerbaijan: Carousel voting and ballot stuffing
Independent election observers and journalists documented voter violations throughout the day, proving that Azerbaijan's most recent elections were staged just like elections in the past.
New Russian-style law censors mentioning LGBTQ+ in the Bulgarian school system
Recent legislative changes forbidding “propaganda, promotion, or incitement” of LGBTQ+ “ideas and views” in Bulgarian school system mirror similar legislation passed in Russia and Hungary, civil society activists warned.
