Stories about Freedom of Speech from April, 2022
In Turkey a journalist is arrested for covering an alleged hacking of a government database
The arrest comes after Haskoloğlu reported on an alleged hacking of a government database.
Weaponising the law: Zimbabwe’s new frontier in digital rights repression
2022 will provide ample opportunity to monitor the government response to electoral challenges, and whether includes the use of internet shutdowns and laws to clampdown on activists, opposition leaders and independent media.
Inflation, youth, and protests in Mongolia
In a movement soon known as the "Do Your Job!" protests, youth urged the government to do their job, as they protested against corruption, injustice, debt burden and inflation.
Decoding the role of mainstream and social media in the recent anti-Muslim violence in India
“Hindus are under threat,” “Muslims should be treated as second class citizens,” and “Secularism marginalizes India's Hindus” were the top narrative frames present in media items in the CMO research.
The life sentence handed to Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala is a dark day for the civil society in Turkey
Turkey's renowned philanthropist Osman Kavala was sentenced to life in prison after having spent four and a half years behind bars for baseless crimes.
Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club cancels Human Rights Awards for fear of legal risks
Launched in 1995, the Awards is one of the most important platforms to celebrate and honour human rights journalism from around Asia.
The censorship of Shanghai citizens in lockdown sparks an uproar on Chinese social media
A six-minute video on the lockdown in Shanghai had gone viral and sparked large-scale online protests after the Chinese censor handed down a comprehensive content removal order on April 22, 2022.
Rising anti-Muslim sentiment across India instigated by ultra-right Hindu groups
Communal clashes between right-wing Hindu supremacist groups and the minority Muslim community have been reported across India on two recent Hindu festivals within a span of a week.
Technology: a problem or a solution in Myanmar’s revolution?
Myanmar has faced surveillance and censorship in its digital spaces since it opened the internet to the public in the early 2000s.
In Azerbaijan, domestic violence activists are becoming the targets
Women's rights activists fear incidents like this, where people involved in assisting a victim of domestic abuse have their personal information disclosed, may become a common practice.
Philippine independent bookshops become targets of red-tagging
The red-tagging of Popular Bookstore and Solidaridad is the latest in a long history of state repression of dissent and critical thinking in the Philippines.
How Russia makes laws to support networked authoritarianism
Russian lawmakers and government have created a sprawling web of new laws and amendments to police citizen activity and speech, pressure independent media and bring tech companies to heel.
Meet Amrit Sufi, who is helping to bring the endangered Angika language onto digital platforms
Rising Voices interviewed Amrit Sufi, a researcher and academician, who is currently working on the digitization of endangered oral languages and cultures in India.
Podcast: What is the Unfreedom Monitor?
This week we hear from Nanjala Nyabola, the Advox Director, about their latest research project, the Unfreedom Monitor.
European Court of Human Rights vindicates Macedonian journalists convicted of defamation
In 2014 and 2015, Focus journalists had to pay more than EUR 9,000 as damages to the former director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (ASC) Sašo Mijalkov for defamation and insult.
‘We are living under constant video surveillance in Ecuador,’ says activist Anaís Córdova
"The millions of dollars being spent on video surveillance and facial recognition technologies is increasing."
Introducing The Unfreedom Monitor, a new project of Global Voices Advox
The Unfreedom Monitor is a research initiative that examines the growing phenomenon of networked or digital authoritarianism. The initial report highlights the underlying factors that lead to its spread.
WAR IS WAR: Vkontakte users discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Given the likelihood that Russian social media API will be closed for further research, Global Voices investigated the opinions of VKontakte users on the Russian war with Ukraine.
Mexico in crisis with eight journalists murdered so far this year
So far in 2022, eight journalists have been murdered in Mexico, raising alarm among media workers as well as national and international organizations.
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka briefly restricted amidst curfew and protests
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Viber, have been restored after a 16-hour ban imposed to quell anti-government protests amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
In Turkey, media watchdog uses licensing to attempt to censor foreign media
A 2020 social media law introduced a set of requirements that will have a lasting impact on digital rights and freedom of expression in Turkey.
