Human Rights
Internet Censorship: Chopping the Head off LulzSec
For a while, it seemed that the hacker group with the silly name was running rings around the FBI. In the end, however, it appears it was the FBI running the show. In the summer of 2011, LulzSec – supposedly short for “Lulz Security” – erupted out of nowhere and began a flashy string of [...]
Internet Censorship: Top Hacker Turns Snitch, Alleged ‘Anonymous’ Leaders Busted
Several alleged leaders of the international hacking organization “Anonymous” are not anonymous anymore. U.S. officials Tuesday announced the arrests of six high-profile hackers, including Hector Xavier Monsegur. Documents filed in a federal court in New York indicate that Monsegur, known in the hacking community as “Sabu,” cooperated with the investigation, leading to the arrests. The [...]
Internet Censorship: CCP Proposes Cells For Microblogs
China’s ruling Communist Party wants to set up branches at all major microblogging sites. Authorities plan to establish propaganda department branches of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the offices of Chinese Internet companies providing microblogging services, according to reports and netizens. The Party’s move, first reported by Taiwan’s United Daily News, is part of [...]
Media Censorship: Media Freedom Worsens in China
Tightened press controls followed official concerns about ‘Jasmine’ uprisings. China has fallen once again in world press freedom rankings, following a year marked by crackdowns around the world, the Paris-based press monitor Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in an annual report. “Control of news and information continued to tempt governments and to be a question [...]
Internet Opens Russia for Democracy Movement
Russia’s protest movement grew and got organized with speed that startled many in the political establishment. Russia’s uncensored Internet allows people to communicate, coordinate and raise money for rallies, all through their computers. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is running for president in elections March 4. His campaign website photos show him skiing, skating and fighting [...]
Internet Censorship: The Wiki Blackout, One Day Later
Just What, If Anything, Did Wednesday’s Protest Achieve? Not content to leave the battle un-joined, the hacker group Anonymous stepped into the SOPA fray Thursday evening by launching a massive denial of service attack on several SOPA supporters, including Universal Music, the RIAA and MPAA. Also targeted was the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. [...]
Internet Censorship: Copyright Enforcement Vs. Censorship — Impact Of ‘Megaupload’ Case
Joss Wright, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, speaks to RFE/RL correspondent Ron Synovitz about the possible impact of the Megaupload copyright case on Internet freedoms around the world. RFE/RL: The U.S. government shut down the file-sharing websites of Megaupload on grounds of copyright infringement [...]
Human Rights: U.S. Accused of Abusing Afghan Prisoners
A commission set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai is making serious accusations against a U.S.-run prison. In a report released to the media Saturday, the commission accused the United States of abusing and torturing Afghans held at a prison neat Bagram air base, north of the capital of Kabul. The report contains few details [...]
Human Rights: Tunisia Tense Ahead of Revolution Anniversary
An elderly man is in serious condition after setting himself on fire in southern Tunisia this week – in an apparent attempt to draw attention to the dire economic situation in the North African country. The act speaks to simmering tensions days ahead of the one year anniversary of Tunisia’s revolution that launched the so-called [...]
Censorship: 2011 in Review – Internet Freedom in the Wake of the Arab Spring
| By Jillian C. York | Sourced from EFF.org (Creative Commons License) | As the year draws to a close, EFF is looking back at the major trends influencing digital rights in 2011 and discussing where we are in the fight for a free expression, innovation, fair use, and privacy. For several years, discussions about global Internet [...]
Political Censorship: Britain to Maintain Sanctions Until Burma Frees Political Prisoners
British Foreign Secretary William Hague, on a visit to Burma, says European Union economic sanctions will not change until authorities release all political prisoners. The top British diplomat made the comments after holding separate meetings with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s military-backed leaders. Hague held talks Friday morning with Burma’s opposition and [...]
Human Rights: Prosecution Demands Death Penalty for Egypt’s Mubarak
Prosecutors in the trial of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak say they will seek the death penalty for him and at least five security officials. Mubarak faces a variety of charges over corruption and involvement in the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters during last year’s uprising that forced him from power. The former [...]
