China’s official news agency says the government has tightened controls on Internet users by enacting rules requiring them to register their real names. The state Xinhua news agency said lawmakers approved the measures Friday at the closing meeting of a five-day session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Beijing says the regulation […]
China Requires Real-Name Internet Registration
Posted December 28th, 2012 at 5:10 am (UTC-5)
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Philippines Suspends Controversial Cybercrime Law
Posted October 9th, 2012 at 5:55 am (UTC-5)
The Philippines Supreme Court has suspended a controversial new cybercrime law that critics say infringes on free speech. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Tuesday the court issued a temporary restraining order, keeping the law from taking effect until it can review whether certain provisions limit civil liberties. The law, which went into force last […]
Cambodia Arrests Pirate Bay Co-Founder at Sweden’s Request
Posted September 3rd, 2012 at 3:30 am (UTC-5)
Cambodian authorities have arrested one of the co-founders of the popular file-sharing website The Pirate Bay at the request of Sweden, where he faces a jail sentence for violating copyright laws. A police spokesman says police arrested Gottfrid Svartholm Warg last week at a rented home in the capital, Phnom Penh. The spokesman said Cambodia […]
Russia Passes Law to Censor Internet
Posted July 11th, 2012 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
Russian lawmakers have approved a bill that gives the government the power to blacklist websites containing what officials consider objectionable material. The State Duma, or lower house of parliament, voted Wednesday on the measure, which proponents say is meant to protect young people from child pornography and information about suicide and drug use. Lawmakers also […]
A Whole New Web: .blog, .bank among Proposed New Internet Suffixes
Posted June 13th, 2012 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
The Internet suffix .com is set to face competition after Wednesday’s unveiling of nearly 2,000 applications for new web address endings. The U.S.-based organization that oversees website domain names announced the requests in London Wednesday. The proposed suffixes include .web, .app, .blog, .bank and other domains specific to particular industries, locations and products. The unprecedented […]
China Punishes Internet Sites for Coup Talks
Posted March 31st, 2012 at 5:00 am (UTC-5)
China’s state media say the government has closed down 16 websites, arrested six people, and punished two social media sites for circulating rumors about a coup. Xinhua said late Friday the crackdown came after a surge in online rumors about a coup following the dismissal of a popular politician – Bo Xilai – leader of […]
Internet Pact Sparks Outrage Across Europe
Posted February 11th, 2012 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Tens of thousands of Europeans braved bitterly cold temperatures to rally against a controversial treaty intended to protect intellectual property. Anger spilled into the streets of European cities, from Sofia and Vilnius to Prague and Paris to voice displeasure with ACTA, the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. The treaty had been under negotiation for years, and […]
Beijing Sets March Deadline for Microblog Users to Register Using Real Names
Posted February 8th, 2012 at 12:20 am (UTC-5)
Chinese media reports say that Internet users in Beijing will no longer be able to post anonymous comments on microblogs as of mid-March. The official newspaper of China’s Communist Party, the People’s Daily, said Wednesday that all microblog users in the Chinese capital must register using their real names by March 16 or be banned […]
Facebook, Google Remove Content in India After Warning
Posted February 6th, 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
Google and Facebook removed allegedly offensive content from some of their Indian websites Monday, following a court ruling seen as a test for online censorship in the world’s largest democracy. The two online giants are among 21 Internet companies that are responding to an Indian court decision ordering them to block material deemed offensive to […]
21 Internet Companies Fight Web Control in India
Posted January 18th, 2012 at 5:00 pm (UTC-5)
In India, 21 Internet companies, including such giants as Google and Facebook, are fighting a lawsuit after the government authorized their prosecution for failing to block offensive content that appears on their websites. The criminal lawsuit was filed by the editor of the New Delhi-based Urdu weekly, Akbari, who alleged that online material on their […]
