Frank La Rue also called for a coordinated effort from the UN human rights system to deal with the issue of privacy
We need a privacy rapporteur, says UN free speech boss
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CATEGORY: Digital Freedom
Internet repression in Vietnam continues as 30-month prison sentence for blogger is upheld
The case of Le Quoc Quan is just the latest move in the Vietnamese authorities’ ongoing attack on dissent, free speech, free press and a free internet. Helen Clark reports
Australia: Authorities want ISPs to police the web
The government will consider various legal means to provide a “legal incentive” for internet service providers to collaborate with copyright owners to combat infringements, Binoy Kampmar writes
India enters the sousveillance age
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s erstwhile chief minister, gained popularity among ordinary citizens because of his tough anti-corruption stand. His antics and strategies to grab media attention didn’t disappoint either. Mahima Kaul reports
Turkey: Censorship laws don’t sell themselves
Over the past few weeks, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey has deployed a curated mix of paid-for advertising, op-eds in pro-government newspapers, tweets and off-the-cuff press statements to justify their curbs on internet freedom. Alastair Sloan reports
Unclear internet law spells uncertain future for free expression in Turkey
The specifics regarding website censorship and data gathering in the recently approved amendments to Turkey’s controversial internet law remain murky, writes Catherine Stupp
India’s courts caught in pornophobia
The Indian Supreme Court’s observations while hearing a petition in which online pornography is blamed for of the “epidemic” of rape and sexual violence is redolent of the pornophobia which had gripped the puritanical English legal system in the Victorian era, writes Saurav Datta
Iran’s online conservatives skirt social media restrictions
A new report by Small Media sheds light on the Arzeshi, a hardline, conservative faction of online activists, devoted to the principles of the 1979 revolution and the supreme leader. Milana Knezevic reports
10 countries where Facebook has been banned
Today Facebook turns 10. But over the past decade a wave of politicians around the world have clamped down on the social media site, banning access to it in their countries
Egypt’s draft anti-terrorism law sparks concern about censorship
Egyptian legislation could allow for social networking sites such as Facebook to be barred, if they are deemed to be endangering public order. Alastair Sloan reports
Why US sanctions are a blow to free expression
If you live in Cuba, Iran or Sudan, and are using the increasingly popular online education tool Coursera, you are likely encounter some access difficulties from this week onwards. Coursera has been included in the US export sanctions regime. Milana Knezevic writes
Is India’s biometric benefits database trampling privacy?
India’s laws and controls over its massive collection, storage and use of biometric data are hugely deficient, writes Ram Mashru
