Stories about Citizen Media from July, 2014
China's State Media Reveals Unapproved Genetically Modified Rice Is on the Market
A deteriorating environment and decreasing arable land threaten China’s ability to feed the world’s biggest population. The country is looking into GMO technology, but rice remains in a research stage.
Can France Catch Up With Internet of Things World Leader China?
The Internet of Things is permanently and fundamentally revolutionizing our consumption habits.
Why Some Caribbean Authors Are Accusing a Trinidad-Born Novelist of Being a ‘Latter Day Columbus’
After a U.K.-based writer wrote a blog post exploring modern Caribbean writers, some authors accused her of ignorance about the region's literary history.
Thai Junta Issues New Gag Order Against Media
A new order from the Thai military government bans "criticism of operations of the [Junta], its officials, or any related individual," among other things.
‘Boyfriend No, Only Volleyball': Kazakh Sportswoman Ignores Marriage Proposals After Going Viral
Sabina Altynbekova, a 17 year-old volleyball player representing Kazakhstan at youth level has been thrust into the global spotlight after playing for her country in a tournament in Taiwan.
Under Bombs, Gaza's Doctors Are Saving Lives and Tweeting Heartbreaking Stories Between Shifts
Doctors at an overcrowded hospital have safely delivered a baby from the corpse of a nine-month pregnant mother killed in an air strike.
Macedonian Authorities Claim Social Networks ‘Have Always Been Blocked’ in University Dorms
Residents of a state-run student dormitory in Skopje began an online campaign to expose the horrific living conditions. Then, access to Facebook and other websites was cut off.
Twitter “Blocks” Access to Russia's Most Infamous Hackers
Russia's Twitter users no longer have access to @b0ltai, an account belonging to a hacker collective that has leaked several Kremlin documents to the Internet over the past 7 months.
What Owen Arthur's Resignation Says About Barbados’ Politics
Owen Arthur has resigned from the political party he led for 14 years – a move which Barbados Underground thinks should give Barbadians pause: The incapacity of a former Prime Minister…to carve out an effective role to serve his political party in the twilight of his career leaves a sour...
Palestinians Accuse Israel of War Crimes, Push for ICC Trial Gets Support Online
Palestinian officials have started legal proceedings to put Israel on trial in the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes. Online, netizens tweet their support.
Venezuela Suspends -and Brings Back- Flights to Netherlands Antilles
On Friday June 25, 2015, Venezuela government announced the suspension of all flights between Venezuela and the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Curazao, Bonaire, Saint Marteen and other islands). According to Venezuelan newspaper El Universal, the action would be a consequence of the detention of Venezuelan Army general Hugo Carvajal –former director...
Being A Black West Indian in Britain
Jamaican author Kei Miller's blog post about “the anxieties of being a black poet in Britain” draws from several personal experiences, leading him to the conclusion that “the act of writing certain black experiences has to be one of translation – as surely as we translate from one language into...
Hollaback's AtréveteBA Fights Street Harassment in Buenos Aires
The website features a map that displays areas where harassment is most frequent and includes personal stories uploaded by victims.
Indians Are Using Social Media to Tackle Racism Against Northeasterners
Many people from the India's northeastern states, called the “Seven Sisters,” face racial discrimination. The country has seen several cases of deadly violence against northeasterners in recent months.
Spanish Congress Comission Approves AEDE Tax or Google Tax
The Spanish Congress’ Commission of Culture approved the so called AEDE Tax (for the Spanish name of the Association of Editors of Spanish Newspapers), also known as Google Tax as part of the draft bill of the Law of Intellectual Property. GurusBlog explains what is this tax about: A tax...
Colombian Sentenced to Prision and Fined for Comments Online
On a judicial ruling that sets a dangerous precedent in Colombia, the Supreme Court of Justice refused to reconsider an appeal taken on the verdict that orders 18 months of imprisonment and a 9,5 milon pesos fine (about US$5,1000) for netizen Gonzalo López for comments published on El País newspaper...
Russia's 4-Million-Ruble Procurement Order to Crack Tor Is Suddenly Revised
The Russian Interior Ministry has revised the language in a procurement order offering almost USD $100,000 for developing a way to decipher user data on the Tor anonymity network.
Russia Is About to Lose “Fake News,” But the Internet Freedoms Going with It Are Real
The owner of an independent TV channel has staged a curious "intellectual provocation" to shock people into understanding the peril of Internet freedom in Russia.
Bahrain's Shia Muslims Tense as Politicians and Preachers Pledge Allegiance to ISIS
Back in 2011, Shia-Muslims complained of political and economic marginalization in the country of 1.3 million people, but recent events suggest a growing trend towards complete marginalization.
Timeline of Israeli Air Attacks on Gaza in 2014
CrowdVoice, a user-powered service that tracks voices of protest from around the world, lists a timeline of Israeli air attacks on Gaza in 2014. Here's an excerpt from their “explore the backstory” section: A series of abductions and murders has inflamed age-old tensions and sparked armed unrest in Gaza. It...
Russia Offers 4 Million Rubles to Crack the Tor Network
Although unlikely, should Russia’s decryption project succeed, it could endanger millions of Internet users whose interest in online anonymity is far from nefarious.
