This is an on-going log of events concerning censorship around the globe.
At vpnMentor, we think its important that you get to see the gravity and breadth of these problems.
The bill also allows for precautionary measures to be taken against equipment used to spread this content.
Students are also raising awareness of campus sexual assaults and the need for greater awareness of menstruation.
The Chinese government is also introducing active citizen surveillance and mandatory social profiling.
The news comes after Facebook announced similar measures earlier this month.
The Iranian censors are also looking to ban tools used to circumvent online censorship, including VPNs.
Chinese broadcaster Mango TV blurred rainbow flags and removed some entries entirely from its footage.
This included the Irish performance because it included two male dancers enacting a gay love story.
Albanias song was also removed because some of the performers had visible tattoos.
Blockchain technology was used by the #MeToo movement last month in China to avoid the censors.
The data gathered is stored in a publicly accessible database.
OONIs work is becoming more important as censorship software becomes easier to obtain and use.
The piece is directed against the Labour Party, and more specifically, its leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The investigation was based on just 20,000 tweets.
The technique is used within Russia to bypass internet censorship, providing access to the banned messaging app Telegram.
The move comes after Russian censors blocked a significant portion of the IP addresses belonging to the two companies.
Peppa Pig Banned in China
Peppa Pig is the latest cartoon character to be banned in China.
The ban has been implemented after the character was deemed subversive and a bad influence on Chinas youth.
The call was made as part of his speech on internet censorship and attacks on freedom of speech.
The speech was one of many given at meetings across Australia to raise awareness of censorship issues.
Protests Against Internet Censorship in Russia
Russian resistance against government censorship is gaining traction.
The governments move to block Telegram catalyzed major demonstrations in Moscow.
Demonstrators see blocking Telegram as a first step towards greater restrictions.
More demonstrations are planned for later in the month.
Its hard to see how the two points are compatible.
Roskomnadzor blocked certain IP addresses after they were used by Telegram to bypass the blocks on its services.
Google is investigating reports of the effects of the ban on its IP addresses.
The work and status of Julien Assange and Facebooks attempts to censor newsfeeds were also hot topics.
The claims were made during a House Judiciary Committee hearing that the pair were invited to participate in.
The pair stated that the move was intended to censor their content and deny their free speech.
Facebook declined an invitation to attend the hearing.
However, currently the etherscan.io website can still be accessed through WeChat.
However, as we have reported since then, the ban has been less than consistent.
So, what is the state of play four months into the ban?
It is still possible to access unauthorized VPNs in China.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to go through a foreign company with offices in China.
Academic institutions in China can still qualify for VPNs as their research requires uncensored access to the wider world.
Outside of such organizations, individuals are migrating to local equivalents of blocked websites to get into the internet.
The ruling follows an ongoing dispute to remove corruption investigations from the websites of several news outlets.
The law sets a dangerous precedent for stopping the publication of information the authorities would rather not be seen.
It can also screen for sensitive text in messages and posts.
The SenseTime product can scan much more content than human moderators, making it more cost efficient.
Despite concerns that it will misinterpret context, the company believe it to be 99.5% accurate.
The law in Germany requires social media companies to remove unlawful hate speech within 24-hours or face large fines.
Failure to do so can also result in fines.
The German government has already conceded that amendments to the law may be needed.
The meeting went ahead and was streamed live via Facebook.
The move is another step in an operation against the banned messaging app Telegram.
It has also affected unrelated businesses on the internet, including a courier service and an English language school.
Strangely enough Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, the two hosting services affected, have yet to comment.
Another Victim Of FOSTA
Cloudflare has terminated their services to sex worker social media site Switter.
Cloudflare stated that the site violated its terms of service.
The company later confirmed that the termination was due to the implementation of FOSTA.
Cloudflare has taken this step despite being an advocate for net neutrality.
Switter has found a new content delivery service willing to host their site, at least for now.
Initially, the list also included homosexuality.
The purge affects everything from games, to anime and short videos.
The initial move was made in response to the Chinese governments efforts to censor cyberspace.
The move would have affected any content considered to be gay-themed.
While Weibo is still removing any content considered violent or pornographic, other gay media remains active.
To remove gay content as the company had originally wanted would have been treating homosexuality as an illegal activity.
Is Google Siding with Censors Again?
Google has a history of siding with censors, and it looks as if it is doing it again.
A recent change that Google has made to its internet architecture means that this no longer works.
The change threatens several anti-censorship tools, including Psiphons VPN services, GreatFire.org, and Signal.
Digital rights groups are urging Google to reconsider the changes.
We will keep you updated when we hear more.
News outlets have been instructed to suppress any information about gatherings organized by the apps fans.
The result is that many websites will filter out any sexual content.
This includes content meant to support victims and keep those in the sex industry safe.
We reported earlier this month how this was already beginning to happen.
Now that the law has been passed by the President, things are only set to get worse.
Toutiao has fallen foul of the censors before when it was accused of spreading vulgar and pornographic information.
What Does a New Prime Minister Mean for the Internet in Ethiopia?
His appointment comes as a result of political crisis earlier this year.
Additionally, even where the internet can be accessed websites are censored and surveillance is a common occurrence.
The right-wing government in India is working with social media platforms to censor selected social media accounts and websites.
The move is being taken under the guise of opposing hate speech and defending national security.
The meeting aims to discuss international attacks on internet freedom, including those taking place in India.
There has been a resurgence in the feminist movement in China in recent years.
However, discussions over equality are still met with resistance from the Chinese government, and consequently from censors.
More information to follow as it becomes available.
Cloudflare has come up with a solution to this problem.
1.1.1.1 emphasizes privacy, promising to wipe logs within 24 hours and to never log your IP address.
The service offers support for DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS.
Additionally, Cloudflare has hired a firm to audit its practices and code.
The firm will produce an annual public report to show whether Cloudflare is keeping its promises on privacy.
Similar actions have been taken in other African countries during elections in the name of national security.
However, other countries, including Kenya, Angola, and Egypt saw no disruption to services during elections.
Upcoming elections in several Latin American countries are creating new opportunities for this exploitation.
This included everything from client screening and safe advertising networks to discussions about sex work.
While censoring discussion is bad, the affects it has on the people behind these discussions is worse.
Censorship does not discriminate however, and many have seen their safety resources and lifelines disappear overnight.
Those who the law is meant to protect, now have no anonymous places to go for help.
Further concerns for businesses especially include how the move will affect Chinas image and competitiveness on the international market.
China, and the rest of the world, waits for the Chinese authorities next move.
However, Chinese authorities were quick to curb any speculation that found its way online.
The RTUK states that the measures are necessary to protect the young from bad role models.
The group Feminist Voices is suing Webio after its account was deleted.
It is not the first time the group as fallen foul of censorship laws in China.
First, there is the very real concern over the rights and freedoms of individuals within China.
The number of individuals jailed for expressing their opinions over the internet continues to increase.
According to the body, such content has a bad influence on society.
Trailers and behind-the-scenes content for unapproved videos are also banned on all online platforms.
The Chinese authorities are stating that the reason behind the ban is copyright infringement.
It obviously has nothing to do with the parodies often being political or sexual in nature.
Any content posted without a license can be blocked by a judge if it is deemed illegal.
RTUK now have the ability to impose broadcasting bans on content it finds inappropriate.
Personal information exchange over social media is currently unaffected by this new law.
UK Pornography Regulations Doomed?
Of course, the other concern is how this is going to be enforced.
All has been very quiet in relation to FOSTA until now.
What is more concerning is that there has been no outcry from social media giants.
In fact, it has been reported that Facebook is working with legislators to get the Bill passed.
21st Century Fox, IBM and Oracle are also supporting the Bill.
Dissidents within the country are reacting to the move by finding new words and phrases to use.
The authorities are responding by discipling journalists for typos and mispronunciations of anything remotely related to the president.
Is Censorship a New Tool in the War of the Classes?
There are growing calls for action among working class Americans following escalation of social tensions and class conflict.
Early negotiations faltered because rightsholder organizations wanted filters to be include in some online services.
However, the joy was short lived after they were re-introduced in a new draft.
Is TRON the Future?
In previous months, we have discussed how blockchains can help circumnavigate censorship online.
Using blockchains creates a traceable path between content and its original creator.
It makes it harder for individuals or companies to deny ownership of content, whether positive or negative.
Now Steemit and its free speech advocate CEO, Ned Scott, are welcoming them to their platform.
Steemit rewards Vloggers with cryptocurrencies, suggesting it is less reliant on advertising revenue.
The scheme, known as Adhose, uses middleboxes to manipulate internet traffic.
Similar approaches to censorship have been used in Turkey and Syria.
Those opposing the bill believe it to be unenforceable and potentially unconstitutional.
Is Freegate the Anti-Censorship Tool You have been Looking For?
As internet censorship increases across the globe, developers are looking for new ways to circumvent this censorship.
One such offering comes from Dynamic Internet Technology.
It is said to work without reducing connection speed, one of the few downsides of VPNs.
This may be one to keep an eye on in the coming months.
The new AI improves detection of these images and code words, removing offending posts to curb further dissent.
Phrases encompassed by the ban include Disney, Brave New World, Personality Cult, and Change the Law.
Any reference to works by George Orwell are also banned.
However, this isnt stopping the authorities from allegedly hacking conversations on non-Chinese platforms to obtain evidence of sedition.
That means that censorship affects three-quarters of internet users in some form.
Almost half the countries studied showed a decline in the internet freedoms of their citizens.
The study also found an increase in the use of disinformation and manipulation tactics as forms of censorship.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Turkish government to scrap Article 73 of the Bill.
The article requires online broadcasters to be regulated and licensed by RTUK, the federal TV and Radio watchdog.
Pro-government sources suggest the bill has enough votes to pass and become law when it goes before parliament.
Students are questioning Facebooks stance that the move is aimed at improving the wellbeing of users.
Google Finds Censorship Workaround
Google has found a way to take its augmented reality service to China.
The three OEMs are releasing devices that include ARCore support and will release related apps throughout their own stores.
The move follows other recent partnerships between Google and Chinese tech companies aimed at releasing Google technology in China.
And, it is not the first time Bell has taken such steps.
Social media platforms are providing sources of information and advice including the use of VPNs and Tor surfing app.
PragerU stated that the video did not include anything objectionable and mainly discussed statistics.
What is heard less often is efforts of anti-corruption campaigners.
The reason for this is that they are quickly and efficiently censored by the Russian state.
A court order insisted that the material was removed, and all Russian outlets and Instagram complied.
However, YouTube has stood firm and continues to host this and other videos by Alexei.
Fighting Terrorism or Censoring Journalism in the UK?
Those covering terrorist activity could find their reports are swept up by the algorithm.
It is also possible this it could be expanded to include any content that the government wishes to censor.
ISPs also filter and block content as they deem appropriate, and this does not require a court order.
A move that has already been implemented by some ISPs.
Calls for Canada to do more have been met with the introduction of the Copyright Modernization Act.
The act aims to protect copyrights using a range of measures, including technological protection.
However, the debate over protecting intellectual rights, while also protecting consumer rights and online freedoms, continues.
Its inception raises numerous questions about the freedom of the internet in Turkey.
However, this is widely questioned by critics of the new service.
In response Webio promised to fulfil higher standards and responsibility, including increasing cooperation with state owned media.
A new section called new era has also been added to Weibo.
Agora reported over 115,000 recorded cases of censorship within Russia during 2017.
This includes 110,000 cases of blocked websites; an average of 244 pages blocked every day.
Courts are imposing an average of one prison sentence every eight days, in regards to censorship.
The center would coordinate with the government to protect 11 crucial sectors from potential cyber-attacks.
The draft law has been heavily criticized that it will develop into digital censorship.
The law would also allow the watchdog to reject broadcasting licenses without needing to provide a reason.
Who is at the Top of the Censorship Tree?
The report concludes that 2017 was the seventh consecutive year of decline in internet freedoms across the globe.
Surprisingly, China only just makes it into the top ten.
In terms of the ten least censored countries there are less surprises.
Operators must also set up mechanisms to monitor users accounts and delete false information.
Iran Slipping Further Down the Censorship Slope
Good news!
Iranian authorities removed the blocks on WhatsApp.
In return, WhatsApp removed content deemed related to terrorism and suspended channels that encouraged violence during the protests.
The bad news is that statements made by Irans leaders lean towards more and greater blocks in the future.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami believes the free internet to be a risk to the Islamic State.
In a press conference he called it a mad dog that if left alone, it will bite again.
To continue operating legally with China, operators need to be licensed by the government.
The Cameroonian government is just one of the world powers taking this approach.
Access was cut in the Anglophone region of the country for the first four months of last year.
This was followed by blocking access to social media and messaging apps such as WhatsApp for over four months.
The coalition requested the CRTC tackle piracy by launching a website-blocking system.
The proposal would create the first official internet censorship committee within the Canadian federal government.
But is attacking freedom of speech the way to achieve it?
One of the problems with the Code and how it is implemented, is its lack of transparency.
Users are not provided with sufficient feedback as to why their posts have been removed.
However, it seems as if money rather than socialist ideals may be fueling the more recent censorship attempts.
Not all VPNs are illegal in China.
Those that are tend to be foreign based rather than owned and operated from within China.
This has both good and bad repercussions.
The bad part is the authorities can tightly control what is accessed, even with a VPN.
Weibo allegedly allowed pornographic and vulgar content that is not in line with appropriate social values.
It was also accused of failing to censor content that discriminates against ethnic minorities.
Viewers received error messages when trying to share the post, which implied a technical fault.
Further investigation brought forward a notice stating that the content had been blocked to keep Facebook safe.
The block was short-lived, however, as a repost of the video was shareable a few days later.
The reason given for the block was that the advert used the image of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
One of the worst offenders was Myanmar with a rise in fake news and increases in journalist arrests.
Many Iranians use a technique known as domain fronting to mask their traffic.
This is not done by the Iranian government, but by the company themselves.
Googles response is that it complies with sanctions.
As many as 128,000 websites were shut down for containing obscene material, or other information considered harmful.
30.9 million publications deemed illegal by the state were confiscated over the course of the year.
1,900 individuals were subject to criminal penalties, in relation to censorship.
Weibo, Tencent, and Baidu all received fines and reprimands for failing to censor content properly.
Much of this was in relation to the death of human rights campaigner Liu Xiaobo.
Overseas journalists did not escape the tightened censorship either.
And of course, China continued its crackdown on the selling and use of VPNs.
All state-owned ISPs must block access to VPNs by February 2018.
This is despite a report by GlobalWebindex stating that the crackdown disrupts students, scientists, and entrepreneurs.
And the blocks had more of an affect on individuals lives than the protesters themselves.
Despite the disruption, Iranian citizens continue to find ways around the blocks.
Psiphon is a firewall circumventing app that has been around for just over a decade.
Not only is it effective, but it is also easy to use.
Psiphon has seen a five-fold increase in the amount of data moving through its servers.
There are now an estimated 10,000 Iranian Tor users according to the companys own statistics.
Policies must clearly specify the website categories that are block.
It must also explain why, and provide procedures for teachers to request sites are unblocked.
It is a small, but crucial, step in promoting freedom of thought and expression in US classrooms.
The White House also made a more measured and considered statement of support for the Iranian protestors.
Services such as Instagram and Telegram have been unavailable since the end of December.
Iranians are using VPNs and building new apps to circumvent growing censorship.
Using VPNs for this purpose is being championed by the United States.
A report by Bloomberg indicates that we have only seen the beginning.
In a recently published blog Bloomberg lists five censorship developments that have occurred in less than a week.
These include movements in Germany, France, the US, and Iran.
And this is in addition to the abolition of the net neutrality laws.
2018, could be a very busy year.
The concerns were raised after the Communications Minister accused Amadnews of encouraging an armed uprising.
The move was made after both were accused of failing to implement censorship measures and broadcasting vulgar content.
Additionally, nearly 10 million internet accounts have been closed across different platforms for violating service protocols.
A law banning the public discussion of current affairs online was passed in 2013.
Blogs and social media were deemed only to be used for the sharing of personal information.
As a result, the number of bloggers imprisoned for publishing content that criticizes authorities has increased.
Wu Xiangyang was found guilty of not holding a proper license for his VPN business.
This is a sure sign that China is taking the VPN ban very seriously.
This is the aim of the new crawling technology that will be implemented within the country.
The technology automatically analyses content and removes any deemed inappropriate under the set parameters.
The government specifically stated that it is intended to block content and not to surveil activity.
Unfortunately, other institutions might not see it the same way.
China to Welcome Google and Facebook?
Among the filtered terms are; news, dictionary, hobbies, and political.
The filtering is more severe than intended by Federal law.
Despite the loss, the fight to maintain net neutrality continues and has a new leading voice.
This story is likely to roll on into the new year.
Could Blockchain be the Answer to Freedom on the Net?
It wasnt that long ago that there were only a few individuals willing to take cryptocurrencies seriously.
How times have changed.
Now there are dozens of such currencies, and they have their own futures market as well.
The answer is Substratum, a decentralized blockchain.
Substratum is an open source web link that works by allowing individuals to allocate spare computing resource to others.
It is the companys belief that this approach encourages a free and fair internet.
This is going to be something we need to keep a close eye on in the coming year.
Russia currently relies on a culture of self-repression, reinforced by the efforts of intelligence agents.
Rashid Tweeted that certain sites were blocked on campus, and that certain keyword searches were censored.
Other student leaders at the University have stated that the action was unprecedented.
It is a worrying move that could have consequences for the rights and freedoms of students across Indias universities.
Any print media carrying articles that criticize the current regime are subject to confiscation.
His article, along with the work of the newly created Internet Freedom Watch has caused a huge stir.
Internet Freedom Watch aims to document cases of internet censorship of Christian and conservative speech.
Winkler is not alone in his attempt to get Congress to see the bigger picture.
Apple s not the only big tech company to attend the conference.
CEO of Google Sundar Pichai was also in attendance, along with diplomats, experts and other business leaders.
This is likely to be a developing story over the coming months.
However, the move has been widely criticized as breaching net neutrality and being an act of gross censorship.
But, not content with one such Bill, a second one is now making its way through Congress.
Platforms are likely to become more restrictive in their policies, especially when moderating content.
This could lead to many marginalized groups being silenced.
Its system would therefore be far from consistent, and affect individuals and groups outside of its intended remit.
Silicon Valley is Supporting Censorship
Censorship is increasing across the globe.
More and more countries are restricting what their citizens can see and say online.
You only need to read through our live updates to see the growing scale of the problem.
But, increasingly that is not the case.
Earlier this month news broke that former internet Tsar Lu Wei faced charges of corruption.
Well, now the Bill is heading to parliament for approval.
The Bill is being developed with the aim of protecting children from harmful and illegal content online.
It is designed to address the perceived short comings of the 1996, Films and Publications Act.
The Bill would require ISPs to block any website that hosts content that has been refused classification.
It is in these latter categories where documentary, investigative reporting and educational material could also be affected.
This is a phrase known to really indicate a charge of corruption.
The Skype app disappeared from app stores in China, along with a number of other internet phone apps.
Apple stated that it had removed the apps after being informed that they violated local laws.
Or is President Xi using the charges to remove those seen as a threat?
Several sources have suggested that latter.
Removing current rules could allow providers to hinder or favor certain services, by blocking or slowing data.
However, the FCC believe that rolling back the regulations will encourage a more free-market approach to the internet.
While the FCC champion the move as restoring internet freedom, others are not so sure.
Twitter and Google in Censorship Arms Race?
Its initial targets are Russia Today and Sputnik News.
Orchid Labs has just launched a private alpha version of its blockchain-based Orchid online grid.
The San Francisco based company has taken a novel approach to the problem of censorship.
Its protocol uses an overlay online grid.
Those sharing exchange bandwidth for payment in Orchids ERC20-compatible token.
Orchid believes that authorities will be unable to monitor any traffic or payments over the data pipe.
Orchid make the claims based on its data pipe being fully decentralized.
Traffic is routed randomly through a web connection of nodes as new contributors sign up and share.
The public Beta Protocol from Orchid is expected to be released in early 2018.
It comes as no surprise that the governments of China and Russia manipulate social media to suppress dissent online.
Doctors can consult via live video conferencing, but few people have personal computers.
Lectures from the countrys top university are being streamed to agricultural communes and factories across the country.
But, this only disseminates the information that has already been approached by the North Korean leadership.
However, with any regulation comes the risk of greater censorship and reduced privacy.
The union representing journalists in Sri Lanka have demanded that access to the site is restored.
Watch this space for updates.
Indonesia Increases Censorship in an Obscenity Purge
Censorship is already a daily reality within Indonesia.
However, the governments latest move indicates an increase in conservatism within the country.
However, the government has dropped its threat to block WhatsApp after it removed GIF images from its service.
Under the new law ISPs and telecommunication companies must store communication data logs for at least 6 years.
The law opens Italian web users to unprecedented levels of censorship and invasions of privacy.
What it will still do, however, is further limit freedom of speech online.
The bill in its current form makes it harder for start-ups and small businesses to compete on the Internet.
The move is the latest in the ongoing case between Google and Equustek Solutions.
Datalink fled Canada and continued to sell their products using foreign domains.
It is not yet clear however, how the decision will be implemented.
With recent well publicized scandals, it is easy to see why this idea persists.
The move comes amidst further tightening of controls on information coming from outside China.
The publisher stated that it has made the move to comply with local distribution laws.
The government states that the law is required to prevent the growth of online extremism.
And it is not stopping there.
What makes its latest move so worrying however, is that the rules take no account of the truth.
However, it is hard to see where there is any complexity is the truth is not being considered.
This was announced alongside plans to further regulate the internet and place more restrictions on content.
The UK is heading a long way down the censorship slippery slope.
If the move is vetoed it is a positive step for freedom of speech.
The Telecommunications Minister has once again targeted the messenger app Telegram vowing to block what he calls anti-revolutionary channels.
However, the true extent of the censorship has only now come to light.
The focus of the censorship efforts was on the official referendum website domain referendum.cat.
Is Iran Reversing its Course on Censorship?
However, any celebrations may have been a little premature.
However, it has since come to light that he may not be as progressive as people had hoped.
The fears have arisen after details of his previous roles, and his treatment of protesters came to light.
European leaders are once again using the all-encompassing mantle of the fight against terrorism to push forward their agenda.
Those within the business state that the 2-hour window is impossible without automation.
Possibly not as surprising is the catalyst behind the move money.
A government statement released this month stated that Access to VoIP would reduce operational costs and spur digital entrepreneurship.
However, the move, while welcome, shouldnt be seen as the opening move to full internet freedom.
Censorship still prevails within the kingdom, and that is not likely to change any time soon.
In an attempt to derail the proceedings, it is taken to internet censorship.
He is offering anonymous hosting and domain names through his Njalla service to independence activists.
Only time will tell whether the fight back has been successful.
New information has emerged, which shows just how disjointed and disproportionate censorship is within Cuba.
This method involves data being filtered as it passes through an inspection point.
The moves are being made using Article 116, which targets information likely to cause disturbances in the country.
Companies affected by the crackdown include Facebook, who has borne the brunt of the regimes censorship efforts.
But, before you get too excited, it is not going to be a free for all deal.
Google has partnered with ProPublica to create what they are now referring to as the Hate Speech News Index.
One site that has fallen foul of this manipulation is the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS).
However, it is too soon to be celebrating yet.
This one is going to be a case of watch this space.
As part of this it intends to develop a more robust regime of internet censorship.
The software that enables this to happen has been designed as part of Vietnams long-term plan to prevent cybercrime.
However, it is hard to see how this right can translate into the closing down of 2,650 websites.
Yet, this is exactly what has happened in India.
The interim measure has been taken as a response to infringement of copyright on specific films.
Numerous reasons are often cited for these occurrences, from government censorship to simple power cuts.
However, as we reported last month, VPNs are the next target on the great China censorship machine.
If this is not immediately forthcoming the connection is shut down within minutes.
So, what does this mean?
In doing this they will be helping to stifle free speech and free expression.
Meanwhile those the Bill was designed to catch will just find another way to communicate.
The only way to access these VPN services within China now is to use a different territorys App Store.
To do this, users must indicate a billing address outside of China.
This sets the scene for an ongoing disagreement.
Well, this week the bills were passed.
But, it is not just VPNs and proxies that have been hit.
Privacy has also been compromised by the Bills.
Those who rely on messenger services for private communications, will no longer be able to communicate anonymously.
The new law requires all service administrators to establish the identities of all its users via their phone numbers.
China Catches Up with WhatsApp
It has finally happened; WhatsApps free reign in China is over.
Any site promoting criminal activity or terror related activities is covered by the new law.
No one is going to argue that child pornography should be removed from any and everywhere.
Additionally, the law can be used to block any content that does not comply with UK content rules.
So, who decides on what is pornography?
Thats a lot of additional financial information floating in the ether, just waiting for hackers to find it.
These regulations ensure that providers treat all content equally and do not give their own services preferential treatment.
To learn more about net neutrality and what it might mean for you trythis infographic.
Although July only started a week ago, the officials in China have been very busy implementing new restrictions.
Any content from educational videos or cartoons that breaks these values will be edited or banned.
Sites that fall below 60 points are to be criticized publicly and banned from winning awards.
And if that wasnt enough,Chinas most popular VPNhas been ordered to cease its operations.
The problem then is who makes those decisions and on what basis.
However, he then stated that a Europe-wide strategy was needed to tackle hate speech and fake news.
The move effectively makes them invisible to anyone looking for them using this search engine.
But, how long will it be before the officials return for the rest of Weibos content?
India Increases its Hold on Internet Freedom
India is taking censorship to a whole new level.
It has shut down the internet.
Each of these blackouts took place in an area that experienced recent violent protests.
This sudden block, however, seems to have motivated activists to speak out against it.
The governments program of intelligent refinement, however, goes much further.
It would seem that entertainment, and even sports, no longer have the relative freedom they once had.
Turkeys War on Wikipedia
The Turkish government has blocked completely blocked Wikipedia.
Yes, you read that right.
The website simply does not exist anymore for web users in Turkey.
Many of the sites that are banned contain news and information that is considered embarrassing to the government.
Other sites named on the list produced by officials included local Egyptian broadcasters and newspapers.
But, it is a sad truth that it exists, and should be reported and removed when found.
However, the latest EU directive if enacted could do more than just put an end to hate speech.
The moderation system on these sites is far from perfect, but is this really the answer?
The regulations would place huge restrictions on what could be shared, published and posted online.
Russia has long been known for its increasingly draconian approach to independent websites and online media.
Greater Turkish Censorship
It didnt stop there either.
Australia 1 Net Privacy 0?
Guess what the Australian Government wanted access to?
And if the government can track you, so can the criminals, and big business.
c’mon, comment on how to improve this article.
