Stories about Freedom of Speech from December, 2018
Censored in 2018: Protest videos, court verdicts, real news — and Peppa Pig
From blocked websites to revoked media licenses to account shutdowns, censorship comes in many forms. Here are a few we saw in 2018.
Indonesian military suspected of using chemical weapons against West Papuan separatists, reports Australian newspaper
"Villagers are traumatised and very scared. They have fled into the jungle. Christmas should be a time of peace but not a time of fear."
To cast their votes on December 30, Bangladeshis will need to overcome many obstacles
Among the difficulties faced by voters are a ban on all unauthorized motorized public and private transportation and a complete shutdown of mobile Internet service.
2018 across sub-Saharan Africa: Our favorite stories of epic change and transformation
From long-time leaders stepping down to citizens rising up, a cautious hope surges alongside the continuous struggle. Here are our favorite stories from across Africa in 2018.
Bangladesh braces for fiercely contested parliamentary election amidst opposition crackdown
On December 30, Bangladesh will hold its 11th parliamentary election to determine the 299 elected members of Jatiya Sangsad who will lead the country for the next five years.
Netizen Report: Bangladeshis see censorship on all sides as elections approach
Bangladesh is blocking websites, Sudanese telcos are blocking WhatsApp and Slack is kicking Iranians off the platform, even when they're not in Iran.
In Cardinal George Pell's sexual abuse trial, Australian court fails to suppress the ‘nation's worst kept secret’
"The alleged suppression order on #georgepell is allowing fake news and hearsay and speculation take the place of reputable news sources."
For the first time, an Angolan president meets with the government's staunchest critics
The meeting appears to signal a pivot from his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos, whose administration was notorious for the ill-treatment of activists, journalists, and international NGOs.
What do Chinese internet users think of Google's ‘Dragonfly’ project?
Internet users remain divided over whether or not Google's supposed return to China is a good thing -- or not.
100 days for Alaa: Family of Egyptian activist counts the days until his release from prison
Alaa has been jailed or investigated under every Egyptian head of state who has served during his lifetime.
Anti-violence protests continue in Belgrade, after journalist survives assassination attempt
Protests are estimated to have doubled in size after Serbian president vows "never" to meet demonstrators' demands.
Russian reporter who faked his own murder named a ‘person of the year’ by TIME magazine
TIME ignored the murder of three journalists while including a staged one. Why couldn’t both be included?
Serbian internet users ridicule disinformation broadcast by pro-government media
Local media misinformed the public about the scale and scope of the protest, sparking a cascade of online criticism.
Crackdown in Beijing: ‘Using Twitter is more dangerous than street demonstrations’
The number of Twitter users who have been directly threatened by authorities is estimated to be in the hundreds or even more.
Singapore government threatens critics and independent media with defamation claims
"How can a prime minister be offended by someone sharing a Facebook post?"
Lebanese journalist goes on trial for covering migrant worker abuse allegations
Lebanon's Cybercrimes Bureau also asked him to sign a pledge to not speak about the case again, but he refused.
New internet laws in Russia — and US tech giants’ acquiescence — spell trouble for dissenting voices
These new laws and rules, along with other laws regulating the collection of online user data, makes it difficult to use online platforms to voice discontent in Russia.
Netizen Report: Who else is being silenced in Saudi Arabia?
Jamal Khashoggi's murder forces light on other abuses in Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh blocks Skype and China goes after Twitter users.
Macedonia's former ruling party organized a trolling apparatus for spreading hate speech, threats
In a TV interview, a former Macedonian government official revealed that the former party created and is still actively running online "troll farms".
