South Korea: Block N Korea on Twitter

August 20th, 2010

South Korea has begun blocking access to a Twitter account opened by a North Korean website. The blocking appears to be aimed solely at @Uriminzok Twitter account’s main page address, which has provided North Korea with a platform for propaganda messages.

Online protest: power to the people?

August 11th, 2010

Index on Censorship’s Mike Harris took part in a discussion on the use of social media and protest at the Frontline Club on Tuesday night with Sina Motalebi of BBC Persian TV, Sunny Hundal of Liberal Conspiracy, Benjamin Chesterton of Duckrabbit, and Mexico Reporter founder Deborah Bonello. Watch it below

CNN Middle East editor sacked over tweet

July 8th, 2010

CNN sacked their Middle East editor, Octavia Nasr on July 7, after she expressed her admiration for the late Lebanese Cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah on Twittter. On hearing of Ayatollah Fadlallah’s death on Sunday, Nasr tweeted that the senior Shiite cleric, who is said to have inspired Hezbollah, was “one of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot”.  In a subsequent blog, she apologised claiming that the message was referring to Fadalallah’s progressive views on women’s rights. CNN officials condemned the post as a simplistic error of judgement and stated that Nasr’s position was no longer tenable because her credibility had been “compromised”.

Indonesia: Pop star charged for sex tape

June 25th, 2010

Police have charged pop star Azril “Ariel” Irham with pornography offences for allegedly participating in home made sex tapes with two other Indonesian celebrities. The videos came to light after they were leaked on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook and have subsequently been widely circulated via mobile phones. Controversial Indonesian pornography laws prohibit public displays of flesh and behaviour that could incite lust and if convicted, Ariel faces a maximum sentence of 12 years imprisonment.

Free speech: Turkey versus Google

June 16th, 2010

Turkey’s Internet censorship hit the news this week when the country’s own president raised his objections to the policy on Twitter. Yaman Akdeniz explains the state’s recent struggles with Google and YouTube
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Iran: Beyond Twitter, the new revolution

June 11th, 2010

Iran’s “green movement” will be reborn in small media, says Mahmood Enayat
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Twitter bomb joker to appeal conviction

June 4th, 2010

Paul Chambers is to appeal against his conviction for sending a threatening message on the social media site Twitter. The trainee accountant, 26, the tweeted “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!” On 10 May Chambers was convicted in Doncaster Crown Court, prosecutors successfully argued that the message had a “menacing character”. The defendant’s appeal is being coordinated by solicitor Allen Green — better known as the blogger Jack of Kent.

Chavez to start own blog

May 26th, 2010

Following the success of his Twitter account, Hugo Chavez has launched his own blog in order to increase his online presence. Chavez announced that he plans to publish transcripts of his speeches and articles, as well as a guest column by Fidel Castro. His Twitter account, which only began a month ago, has already more than 400,000 followers.