A New Push For, And Old Worries About, Internet Freedom Doug Bernard | Washington DC Freedom champions take heart…at least a little bit. There were some moves this week that advocates for free online expression say point to a larger trend toward more, not less, freedom on the web. But the Internet being fickle, not […]
What Do You Think: Regulating Online Speech
Adding Your Voice To The Debate Ross Slutsky | Washington DC Keen observers of the web may have noticed recently some in politics and the media expressing concern about online free speech, and an upcoming meeting of the UN’s International Telecommunications Union. The ITU works to create international standards for digital communications, and during this […]
Google Scrubs The Web
“An Alarming Rise” In Internet Censorship Doug Bernard | Washington DC If the latest numbers from Google are any measure, 2012 is not shaping up as a good year for free speech on the Internet. For the last two or so years, following a high-profile dust-up with the government of China regarding content, the search […]
Spying Online In Syria
Damascus Mines The Web To Target Activists Doug Bernard | Washington DC As the situation and armed conflicts in Syria enter a new period of uncertainty and militarization, it increasingly appears the same may well be said about Syria’s Internet. Of course, it’s old news to say that Damascus restricts citizen’s access to the web […]
Why Did Pakistan Shut Off Twitter?
Debate And Rumors About Censorship Swirl Doug Bernard | Washington DC It only lasted for about 8 hours, but that was long enough to start a whole new round of Internet rumor and worry. On Sunday, May 20th, Pakistani telecommunications authorities suddenly blocked all access to the micro-blogging site Twitter, effectively shutting off the service […]
“Shading” The Truth In China
Weibo censorship in the Chen Guangcheng case Alice Xin Liu The twists and turns of the fate of blind lawyer and dissident Chen Guangcheng has had much of China’s online community in its thrall. On April 27 Chen arrived in the US embassy from his native Shandong, where he had escaped from house arrest. Despite […]
The Internet’s Archive
There’s More Free Stuff Out There Than You May Know Doug Bernard | Washington DC May 8, 1977. The setting was Ithaca, New York; Cornell University’s barn-like Barton field house, specifically. On that particular Sunday evening, for the princely sum of $7.50 – $6.50 for students – you could buy one general admission ticket (assuming […]
China’s Internet Catnip
Sex, Politics, Murder and the Web Doug Bernard | Washington DC In other times, the political excommunication of former Chinese rising star Bo Xilai would have been a relatively simple affair. Bo, the party boss of Chongqing, had for years built himself firm control over what happened in his province, along the way winning something […]
Censorship on Tomb Sweeping Day
Alice Xin Liu Every year around this time, China marks the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day. It’s traditionally marked as a day for the living to celebrate the departed, marked by outings to cemeteries. Celebrants leave tea, burn paper or incense, and generally sweep the tomb down clean and clear. But this […]
“Blogging While Vietnamese”
Vietnam Cracks Down On The Internet And Free Expression Doug Bernard | Washington DC Dieu Cay knows the risks and rewards of being a blogger in Vietnam. On the risk side, he’s been tossed in and out of prison cells over the last five years, today finding himself detained once more. His reward? He’s still […]