Stories about Digital Activism from January, 2016
Egyptians Call for the Release of Political Prisoners on the Fifth Anniversary of the Jan25 Revolution
Some 41,000 political prisoners remain in jail in Egypt on the fifth anniversary of the Egyptian revolution. Mira G looks at how they are being remembered.
‘Don't You Touch My Sister': Guinean Citizens Rally Against Rape
Guinean citizens took to the streets and online forums to raise awareness of sexual violence in Guinea.
Rising Voices Welcomes Five New Indigenous Language Digital Activism Grantees
Rising Voices congratulates the five winners from Argentina, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua that will receive microgrants and mentoring for their indigenous language digital activism projects.
Netizen Report: Change is on the Horizon for Iran. But Let’s Not Forget Human Rights.
Protesters in Poland say no to unchecked surveillance, Kuwait tightens laws on critical speech, and an exiled Bangladeshi blogger tells his story.
Did a Text Message Lead to the Arrest of This Recently Released Iranian-American Prisoner?
Another prisoner released in the swaps, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, appears to have been arrested to due to mass surveillance by Iranian authorities. His SMS messages were surveilled.
[TIMELINE] Morocco: Political Repression in the Era of Social Media
Since the mid-2000s, investigative journalists and citizens engaged in political activism online have become regular targets of the Moroccan government. Learn more with this timeline.
How Netizens Are Pushing Back Against ISIS’ Social Media ‘Propaganda Machine’
Alongside the efforts of big companies and governments, many independent groups and individuals are making their own efforts to combat ISIS' activities online.
Activist-Blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki Returns To Jail
While much hope and happiness came with the lifting of nuclear sanctions and the release of Iranian-American prisoners in Iran, a blogger and activist returned to jail.
Why I Went Into Exile: A Bangladeshi Blogger Tells His Story
"...[the assailants] want our keyboards, pens to stop...Now its the time to write even more...Otherwise the darkness will win, religious fundamentalism and extremism will win."
The Russian Government ‘Embraces’ Transparency
Russia is finally embracing transparency—so long as it poses no threat to political stability, writes Andrei Jvirblis in this openDemocracy Russia overview of the Kremlin's open government efforts.
Russian LGBT Activist Fined for ‘Propaganda of Homosexuality’ Online
LGBT activist Sergey Alekseenko was accused of "gay propaganda" after posting a quote from a state regulator's report describing another LGBT community on social media.
‘Hands Off Our Privacy': Polish Citizens Speak Out Against Surveillance Law
Poland's parliament adopted a surveillance law that would give authorities fast access to citizens' Internet and telecommunication usage data, without prior approval from a judge.
A New Wave of Protests Sweeps São Paulo Against Public Transportation Fare Hikes
One study found that public transport in 21 Brazilian cities are among the most costly in the world in relation to average salary, outranking London, Tokyo and New York.
You Don't Know Noise, If You Don't Know Trinidad and Tobago
From unbearably loud music to illegal fireworks, one civic-minded social media user in Trinidad and Tobago is taking on the "noise polluters who yearly get away with decibel crime".
First Russian Pastafarian Gets Driver's License Photo Wearing A Colander
Russian Pastafarians are celebrating: for the first time, an adherent of the religion managed to get his driver's license photo taken wearing a pasta strainer—Pastafarians' obligatory headgear.
China Is Blocking Circumvention Tools With Help of Cloud Service Providers
Experts estimate that between 1% and 3% of China's internet users are using circumvention tool to visit overseas websites. But this could change with new restrictions.
A Venezuelan Digital Artist Defends LGBT Rights Despite Social and Political Censorship
Who's behind censorship and why? What happens when old social norms around gender are questioned? Danial Arzola, creator of the campaign 'I'm not a joke', answers these and other questions.
On Criticising Charlie Hebdo on Facebook, and the Perils of Selective Freedom of Speech
Did Facebook remove Efe Levent's post because he used the term "cracker"?
Russian Study Finds that One in Nine Duma Deputies Is an Academic Phony
Dissernet's investigation of dissertation texts found that one in nine lawmakers in the Russian State Duma has plagiarized content in their thesis, raising suspicion about their academic degrees.
Moroccans Protest Ban of VoIP Calls, Including Whatsapp, Viber, Facebook and Skype
Moroccans have decided to boycott telecom companies for blocking VoIP services to teach them a lesson. Do such boycotts work?
Angkety Map Highlights Digital Resources for Australia's Indigenous Language Revitalization
Angkety map is a new report highlighting digital resources available to Australia's indigenous communities interested in using technology for language preservation and revitalization.
