China remains the world’s greatest internet censor. We very rarely gain insight into how this system works. One document has fallen into the hands of some Chinese bloggers and it makes for fascinating reading, revealing the detailed censorship orders from a government propaganda authority: 3. Web sites should only republish information from the Xinhua News…
Showing all posts tagged blogging
China’s darker side
China is preparing for this year’s Olympic Games but human rights appear not to be a priority. The regime can’t suddenly disappear beggars from central Beijing and local bloggers are revealing the extent of the problem: To the east of Zhengyangmen, there is an old railway station which used to be one part of Beijing-Shenyang…
Be careful what you say
Israel has long censored material it deemed sensitive but the situation may soon become even worse: Israeli web culture is known for having an active talkback (web commenting) scene. Every major news site allows users to submit comments for every single one of its stories. Israeli culture at its best and worst thrives through discussions…
Clamping down on freedoms
What is the role of a Western internet multinational like Google in a country such as Iran? I’m currently researching this and related issues for my forthcoming book on the net in repressive regimes but Canadian blogger Nart Villeneuve has examined the apparent reality of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic starting to bite Iranian…
Vital voices leaving
The Iraqi blogosphere has been a constant source of information since the 2003 invasion (and remains so.) But one blogger now claims that many of the leading writers have left the country. Another casualty of the occupation.
The high on empty rhetoric president
Michael Hirsh, Newsweek, January 14: A day after George W. Bush gave his big democracy speech and declared the opening of “a great new era ”¦ founded on the equality of all people”—a line he delivered at the astonishingly opulent Emirates Palace hotel, where most of the $2,450-a-night suites are reserved for visiting royals—the president…
Futile censorship
Repressive regimes around the world are continually trying to block citizen’s access to the internet. But trust bloggers to fight back, designing proxies to allow anybody to freely access YouTube, Flickr, MySpace and many others.
Freedom one step at a time
The Independent editorial, January 14: It is hardly a secret that the authoritarian regime of Saudi Arabia detains political prisoners. But the first arrest of a blogger in the kingdom has drawn an unusual amount of international attention. The Saudi government has even attracted some criticism from its long-standing ally, the United States. Fouad al-Farhan,…
What’s that internet thing?
During the current Bush visit to the Middle East, the White House team is blogging. Yes, it’s as exciting and insightful as you’d imagine.
Silencing the small man
Despite the incessant attacks by the Bush administration towards Syria and its leader Assad, the country remains a dictatorship that can get away with this: His name is Tarek Baiasi and he’s 23 years old. He lives in Banyas with his mother and two sisters. His father was detained during the 70s by the Syrian…