Stories about Digital Activism from November, 2016
Facebook’s Controversial ‘Free Basics’ Project Spreads to 47 Countries
Free Basics is a collaboration between Facebook and mobile providers that allows access for free but limited access to internet.
How to Use the Internet to Protect and Pass on Traditions to Malian Youth
"Our mission is use information technology to preserve and promote Mali’s rich linguistic, material, and immaterial heritage."
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.
An American Traveler Accuses Macedonian Customs of Corruption After ‘Ordeal’ at the Border
Rick Ray uploaded a video saying officials confiscated his drone -- not because he did anything wrong, but because they wanted to resell it for profit.
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?"
La Francophonie Summit Comes to Madagascar, Where Demonstrators Are Waiting
Madagascar, where the majority of people still live in poverty, has spent vast sums of money to organise a major summit. How much money exactly, nobody knows.
Melbourne’s Networked Society Symposium Explores Digital Landscape
The threats and opportunities presented by our digital world and the rise of the 'Fifth Estate' were explored at a symposium at Melbourne University's Networked Society Institute.
How is Online Radio Helping to Empower Visually Impaired People in Armenia?
"There are about 25,000 visually impaired people in Armenia, of whom 6,000 are blind. Only 5% of these people are employed."
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.
Ukraine Cracks Down on Internet Piracy
Ukraine's most popular file-sharing service is shutting down its operations amidst a broader government effort to strengthen Ukraine's intellectual property laws and crack down on internet piracy.
Activists Want to Build a Monument to Russia's Most Famous Movie Gangster
Russian activists is crowdfunding a monument to Sergei Bodrov Jr., the actor who played the cult hero Danila Bragov in the "Brat" movies.
Ethiopian Authorities Arrest Zone9 Blogger Befeqadu Hailu Citing ‘State of Emergency’
Hailu was told that his arrest was prompted by the interview he gave for Voice of America's Amharic Service about Ethiopia's state of emergency.
Let’s Take Back Twitter, Please
A worldwide campaign is underway to attempt to buy and transform the little blue bird into a cooperatively-owned platform.
A Hilarious Meme Leads to Crowdfunding Campaign for Children in Ghana
"There have been many stories of how crowdsourcing rescued many from challenges. But it is more exciting when a negative and hilarious meme is turned into a good tale..."
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Census Shows the Demography of Division and the Reality of Illiteracy
Initial results of the Bosnia and Herzegovina census shows that decades of nationalistic politics have entrenched ethnic and religious differences, reconfirming the ethnic cleansing 'gains' from the 1990s war.
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.
‘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.
