The Shifting Landscape of Global Internet Censorship, released today, documents the practice of Internet censorship around the world through empirical testing in 45 countries of the availability of 2,046 of the world’s most-trafficked and influential websites, plus additional country-specific websites. The study finds evidence of filtering in 26 countries across four broad content themes: political, social, topics related to conflict and security, and Internet tools (a term that includes censorship circumvention tools as well as social media platforms). The majority of countries that censor content do so across all four themes, although the depth of the filtering varies.
This week, the Internet Monitor reports on possible Internet outages in Nigeria, Donald Trump’s pledge to bring Internet to rural America, Egypt’s increased blockages, and a Palestinian campaign for more Internet freedom.
This week, the Internet Monitor discusses the denial of access to LinkedIn in Russia, the cautious expansion of Facebook’s Free Basics, the threat of communication applications to Internet freedom, and the potential launch of a fleet of SpaceX internet satellites.
Governments block the internet for a variety reasons, but often it is done to diminish political upheaval. Learn about how internet blackouts have a number of unintended consequences that ultimately hurt a country.
Internet Monitor is excited to announce AccessCheck, a tool that lets you check in real time whether users in different countries can access different websites.
This week, Internet Monitor gives updates on a Berkman Center report on Internet Bills of Rights, a review of Turkish Internet laws by the European Commission, a Hungarian woman's mishap on Facebook, and ISIS' recent roundup of Iraqi Facebook users.
This week, Internet Monitor examines the latest Freedom House report on "Freedom on the Net," an online map made for and by refugees in Berlin, Telegram CEO's tussle with the Iranian government, and the case of two Turks accused of violating Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code.
This week, Internet Monitor explores updates in the case of an imprisoned Palestinian Syrian open-source software developer, the recent hack of CIA Director John Brennan's AOL account, and Citizen Lab's recent report on Internet filtering in Yemen.