Stories about Technology from March, 2017
The CIA's Online Museum Offers a Glimpse of US Military Intervention in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is a region where U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War led to the expansion of the CIA’s paramilitary operations in Laos and Cambodia.
Emirati Hardline Nationalists Target Human Rights Defenders on Twitter
It is no longer unusual for governments to maintain a robust online presence. They understand well the power of the internet in forming public opinion and manipulating political discourse.
Kyrgyzstan's Capital Through the Cracked Windshields of Its Beloved Trolleybuses
Do Bishkek's trolleybuses have style? You bet they do!
Iranians See Arrests and Intimidation of Telegram Administrators and Journalists Ahead of the Elections
Revolutionary Guards have previously attempted to limit Telegram's free flow of information with arrests for immoral or obscene content. This is the first time crackdowns have focused on political affiliation.
Young Iranian Faces Execution Over ‘Anti-Islamic’ Social Media Posts
"Sina's grandfather was a martyr of the eight-year war. Sina himself served two years. Sina has more rights to this country than most of these authorities."
Netizen Report: Why Did YouTube Censor Your Videos? You May Never Know.
A Brazilian blogger is forced to identify his sources, Iran cracks down on speech pre-election, and Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission hears testimony from bloggers persecuted under Ben Ali.
These Techies Want Your Phone to Speak to You in Swahili
Swahili is the second-most-widely-used language on the African continent. Yet automatic speech recognition isn’t commercially available in this language, denying many users the information they need.
If You Really Want To Know What's Happening With Tech in Cuba, Read Beyond the Headlines
Internet access is fleeting, connection quality is poor, and the costs of getting online are astronomical. But you wouldn't know it from the headlines.
Kathmandu’s Pollution Is So Bad, Even Gods Need Masks
The level of pollution in Kathmandu has surpassed the minimum acceptable level and the residents are reacting by putting masks over their faces, just like the city's iconic statues.
‘Those Who Tortured Him [Should] Tell Us the Truth': Tunisian Commission Hears Net Freedom Testimonies From Dictatorship
The Truth and Dignity Commission is investigating rights abuses committed during the dictatorship era, including internet freedom violations.
India Fights to Bring ‘My Freedom Day’ to Its 12 Million Slaves
This year, roughly 12 million slaves in India couldn't celebrate My Freedom Day. That number could rise to 18 million, if more isn't done to help India's most vulnerable.
Netizen Report: Azerbaijani Bloggers Targeted with Legal Threats, Spearphishing
Censorship is up in France, China is censoring scientists (again), and Facebook tells developers to stop using network data for surveillance.
Poly, the Platform That Wants to Teach You Every Language in the World
"We want to be more useful to the speakers of the language than the linguists, because the speakers are the ones who need it.”
India's Cashless Villages: Not Really There Yet, But the Journey Has Begun
The Lanura village lacks basic facilities, like electricity infrastructure, water and other amenities of life. The people were stunned to learn that the village was declared a "cashless village."
Chinese Scientists Speak Out Against the Great Firewall (Again)
'...it takes at least 10-20 second to access a page. Sometimes it takes more than half an hour to access some university websites…'
Russia Adds First-Ever Foreign Messaging App to Federal Registry
For the first time ever, Russia’s federal censor, Roskomnadzor, has added a foreign online messenger to its “Registry of Information-Dissemination Organizers,” targeting the Swiss company Threema.
Silicon Valley Giant Uber Caught up in Kazakhstan Wooden Stool Scandal
"Uber. Are you completely nuts? Is this what a Californian startup looks like?"
