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 describes a new community-governed Twitter alternative called Mastodon, Russia’s ban of political talk on LiveJournal, China’s censorship of sensitive photos on WeChat, and the introduction of new Internet privacy bills in state legislation.
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.
This week, the Internet Monitor covers the October DDoS attack and the growing threat of unsecure IoT devices, the new cybersecurity law in China that will reduce security and potentially expose personal information of users, the risk of hacking the U.S. presidential election, and the FCC privacy laws that protect user data from broadband providers.
This week, Internet Monitor examines how the Russian government could be involved with the DNC email hack, the censorship of Facebook users posting pro-Kashmiri content, a new fine for using a VPN in the UAE, and Pakistan's new cybercrime bill.
This week the Internet Monitor takes a look at a change in Reddit's policy, a new way to use Blockchain, a change in Russia's internet censorship policy, an internet blackout in Algeria, and a new technology that could potentially prevent the spread of terrorist propaganda.
This week Internet Monitor explores the most recent updates on net neutrality in the US, how Singaporean government computers are going offline, the removal of pro-Palestinian content on Facebook and Twitter, and how Russian hackers are trying to learn more about Donald Trump.
This week Internet Monitor delves into the story of a lost cat in Chechnya, the European Commission's latest policy changes towards "online platforms," and the status of the Internet Assigned Number Authority.