Stories about South Asia from August, 2022
Towards digital authoritarianism in Nepal: Surveillance, data collection, and online repression
Nepal government’s COVID-19 response opened the door to various threats to human and digital rights. Nepal must decide on its own path if it envisions a democratic digital ecosystem.
YouTube is temporarily blocked during former PM's political rally in Pakistan
After blocking Khan's speeches from satellite TV, the government seems to be trying to stop his campaigning from being heard online as well.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: India
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in India is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
In Brazil and India we are seeing an increase in tensions between platforms and states
Research from the Unfreedom Monitor uncovers a pattern in the way that social media and tech platforms engage with states that practise digital authoritarianism.
Rising sea levels in Bangladesh are driving women to take the pill to stop menstruating
Many girls and women in the coastal areas of Bangladesh who don't have access to fresh water are taking birth control pills, often stolen from married women to stop their periods.
Disruptive technologies, demagogic governance: Data (un)democracy in India during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic not only resulted in a great loss of life in India, but also provided an impetus for authoritarian control.
Nepali activists protest Myanmar executions
On July 26, Nepali rights activists took to the streets of Kathmandu against the execution of four democratic activists by Myanmar’s ruling army junta.
Bangladesh government instructs TV channels not to use the word ‘Indigenous’ when referring to ethnic tribes
On July 19, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a notice to 35 TV channels asking the media and civil society not to use the word ‘Adivasi’ (indigenous people).
About our South Asia coverage
