Stories about Technology from February, 2015
Iran Reacts to the Latest Snowden Leak on SIM Card Hacks
Iran's Minister of Information and Communication Technologies told Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency that he urges all state employees and ordinary Iranians to rely on their landlines for most communications.
Parliament Watchdog Connects Ugandans to Women MPs Through Twitter
Parliament Watch Uganda organized the #MPsEngage Twitter chat with women members of parliament to discuss the topic 'Making Women Count in Legislative Processes'.
Libyan Kids Have Been Out of School for Months, so One Woman Is Bringing the Classroom to Them
Haifa El-Zahawi, a Libyan who lives in New York, has given kids in her home country access to education for the first time in months thanks to a Skype connection.
Australians Shake Up Internet With Indigenous #MotherLanguage Tweets
Australians joined people from around the world for International Mother Language Day by tweeting in indigenous languages.
US Government Eases Sanctions to Allow Export of Personal Communications Tools to Sudan
The US government has issued a general license amending sanctions on Sudan to allow the export of certain personal communications technologies.
Ali Abdulemam: ‘I Have Not Lost My Identity. I Am Bahraini.’
In late January, the government of Bahrain revoked the citizenship of blogger Ali Abdulemam, along with that of 71 other Bahrainis, many of them journalists and activists.
Cyber Sex Did Not End Well For These Syrians Fighting Assad's Regime
Cyber sex is changing the war grounds in Syria as a Fireeye report reveals. Hackers have stolen 7.7 GB of opposition data via malware installed during chats on Skype.
Cuba Announces New IT Policy and Does Not Mention Internet Access
ICT use and access is one of the talking points in the process of normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States.
New Minister Threatens to Shut Down Zambian Independent News Site
The site has been blocked within Zambia on numerous occasions, and reporters have been arrested because of suspected associations with the website.
Malawian Student Makes His Own TV Station
Chisomo Daka, a student at the University of Malawi’s chancellor college, has created his own TV station, Paul Ndiho reports: Innovation is happening across Africa, in all different sectors, from education to energy, banking to agriculture and in television broadcasting. In Malawi, a university student has created a community TV...
Social Media Is Changing How Consumers in India Interact With Companies
Got a complaint? When consumers in India do, around 25% of them post their grievances online before lodging their complaint in court.
Emerging Threats in Cybersecurity Legislation in Africa
Access, an international human rights organization is troubles by emerging threats in cybersecurity and data protection in Africa. Ephraim Kenyanitto explains: The Convention was originally scheduled to pass in January 2014, but was delayed for modifications after protests by the private sector, civil society organizations, and privacy experts—all of whom...
RuNet Watchdog ‘Baffled’ by Twitter's Refusal to Block Kremlin's Opponents
Alexandr Zharov, head of Roscomnadzor, told journalists that Twitter "has consistently refused to adhere to the demands of Russian legislation, including those aimed at combatting extremism."
Turkey Cites National Security as it Cranks Up Internet Controls
Courts offer citizens occasional protection from Ankara's vicious war on freedom of expression and privacy, so government is looking for laws that bypass them.
Explore Bangladesh From Your Computer, Thanks to Google Street View
Bangladesh's Google Street View launched February 5. One Facebook user posted his amusement at seeing his lungi, a sarong-type cloth, appear in the image (it was hanging from his balcony).
Netflix is Coming to Cuba — But Will They Have Any Customers?
Netflix seems unaware that even those Cubans who have Internet access do not have a strong enough connection to watch videos online.
‘We Need to Be Careful Even of What We Think': Self-Censorship in Venezuela
"Since the start of the protests, I had been mapping online censorship and helping people use encrypted communication tools. When the police came, I got up, scared to the bone."
Crimean IT Industry Wilts Under Western Sanctions
Western sanctions come at a high cost to IT-professionals and citizens in disputed Crimea, as companies like Apple and Google are blocking access to their services.
Stop the Music: Spotify Cancels Launch in Russia
Spotify is leaving Russia in response to the economic crisis, the political situation, and the draconian Internet laws.
WeChat Won't Show Chinese Users BMW Ads If It Thinks They're Poor
A newly launched ad service within friend circles show some users BMW ads, while others see Coca-Cola ads, leading angry netizens to accuse the messaging app of discrimination.
