Stories about Technology from December, 2016
A Satellite Launch Lights Up the Night Sky Over Japan
"A beautiful glow in the nighttime sky." "It was really impressive."
Bangladesh Blocks 560 Porn Sites
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country, where many people have expressed concerns about the spread and consumption of online pornography. But it is also a democracy.
A Year of Violence in Bangladesh
Groups linked to ISIS, Ansar Al Islam or Ansarullah Bangla Team have claimed responsibility for violent attacks on intellectuals and regular citizens. What does this mean for the future?
In 2016, These YouTube Channels From India Offered Meaningful Content
YouTube India is not all songs, pranks or cat videos.
Google Mapping of Public Toilets Is the Latest Effort to Stop Open Defecation in India
"It would be naive to think Google’s efforts will change attitudes and rectify India’s sanitation troubles altogether, especially since nearly 900 million Indians don’t have access to the internet..."
Netizen Report: Threats on Civil Society Reach New Heights in Macedonia, Egypt
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Kenya Internet Report Charts Increases in Access, E-Commerce and Arrests of Bloggers
Internet penetration is up and blogs are increasingly popular – for readers and writers alike. But arrests of bloggers and online journalists are increasing too.
Social Media Sites Blocked in Kazakhstan on 25th Anniversary of Independence
Activists reported that Facebook, YouTube, and other social media websites were inaccessible in Kazakhstan on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
#FreeMaxenceMelo: Authorities Charge Tanzanian Whistleblowing Website Owner Under Cybercrimes Law
"Mentioning 'Tanzania' and 'democracy' in the same sentence amounts to subjecting the term 'democracy' to ridicule."
Netizen Report: Discussion Platform Founder Arrested in Tanzania
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Belarus Moves to Block Tor in Fight Against Online Anonymity
Belarus is ramping up efforts to crack down on Tor. But does Minsk actually have the ability to block the anonymity network?
Netizen Report: Sudanese Activists Sustain Calls for Civil Disobedience, Despite Arrests
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Russian Students Create Programming Language to Help Their ‘Streetwise’ Peers Graduate
Students at St. Petersburg's College of Information Technologies have built a new programming language using the "gopnik" vernacular.
The Thin Line Between Political Censorship and Fighting Fake News in Iran
Iran wants to regulate social-media news accounts with more than 5,000 followers because of the dangers of fake news. But what about the danger to free speech?
Report Shows Ghana's Opposition Presidential Candidate Leads in Facebook Likes, Incumbent President Leads in Twitter Followers
"[T]he report has shown that social media has become a normal and central form of communication for all segments of the population, particularly, political parties and their leaders..."
Russian Blogger Launches Campaign to Annul Anti-Extremism Law He Was Convicted of Violating
Blogger Anton Nossik wants to annul Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, a catch-all statute that prohibits "ctions aimed at the incitement of hatred or enmity."
A Major Leak Exposes How Chinese Loan Sharks Make Female Debtors Take Nude Selfies
Taking nude photos in exchange for a loan may seem bizarre, but that's exactly what's happening in China. A major online leak has cracked the scheme wide open.
Russian Media Regulator Backpedals on Google Pressure
Hours after Russian news outlets began reporting that state media regulatory agency Roskomnadzor had issued instructions forcing Google to re-register in Russia or face sanctions, an agency representative backpedaled, telling roem.ru that Izvestiya, the newspaper that broke the news, had misreported the story. Izvestiya quoted Vadim Ampelonsky in their initial report as saying that...
Russia Ratchets Up Pressure on Google
Roskomnadzor, the agency that regulates Russian media, has issued instructions that will force Google to change its registration by the end of March.
Innovative Japanese Mapping Project Returns With Interactive Map of 1941 Pearl Harbor Attack
An innovative online mapping project, which incorporates historical photographs and eyewitness testimony re-colorized by neural networks, brings the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to life.
Dismantling Patriarchy at the Roots – One Video, One Conversation at a Time
Why are the aspirations of young girls’ treated differently from those of young boys? Why are girls prepared for housework from an early age and boys are allowed to play?
