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NEWS ABOUT: Internet censorship

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Iran Disrupts Internet as Elections Loom

Authorities take early steps to prevent protests, say experts

(Newser) - With parliamentary elections looming in Iran next month, authorities are ramping up censorship of the opposition, disrupting much of the country's Internet in the process, reports Reuters . Millions are having trouble accessing their email and social networking sites, which played an important role in the protests that followed the... More »

Google, Facebook Yank Content as India Cracks Down

Court threatens to come down on firms 'like China'

(Newser) - A strongly-worded directive from an Indian court, threatening to crack down on websites "like China," has pushed Google and Facebook to bar some content on Indian domains, Reuters reports. Some 19 other companies have also been asked to block material considered offensive to Hindus, Muslims, and Christians following... More »

China, Thailand Applaud Twitter Censorship

Dissidents fear losing free-speech tool

(Newser) - Twitter's controversial decision to allow censorship of tweets on a country-by-country basis has won praise from two of the countries with the busiest censors. In Thailand—ranked 153rd in the world for press freedom because of its strict laws against offending the monarchy—the country's information minister called... More »

Chinese Bloggers Mock US' SOPA Outrage

Even as some say they support the protesters

(Newser) - Chinese Internet users were just a wee bit amused by American protests over the Stop Online Privacy Act . "Don't understand the hoopla over Wikipedia blackout in the US today," one microblogger wrote, according to the LA Times . "We blacked it out here years ago. Where are... More »

Marco Rubio Drops PIPA Sponsorship

Says he's worried about unintended consequences

(Newser) - Internet, you have been heard—by a couple of influential senators at least. Marco Rubio says he's dropping his support of the Protect Intellectual Property Act, of which he is a co-sponsor, Politico reports. In a Facebook post , the Florida senator says he's heard "legitimate concerns about... More »

Iran to Kill Internet Within Weeks

Will launch a 'halal' domestic intranet in its place

(Newser) - As fresh sanctions and economic turmoil loom, Iran has launched its harshest crackdown on the Internet yet, the Wall Street Journal finds. Internet cafes have been told they have 15 days to install security cameras and begin collecting information on users. Many sites have been blocked and Iranians may soon... More »

Online Piracy Bill Becomes Major Battle

Lobbyists dig in over controversial SOPA measure

(Newser) - A battle is heating up on Capitol Hill over a controversial new bill targeting online piracy. Yesterday Google, Facebook, Yahoo and other web companies took out full-page newspaper ads railing against the House’s recently introduced Stop Online Piracy Act, even as supporters sung its praises at a hearing. “... More »

China's Censors Crack Down on Bloggers

Microblogs, TV muzzled to prevent 'excessive entertainment'

(Newser) - After years of appearing to lighten up, China’s Communist Party is clamping down on free expression. This week it ordered 34 major satellite television stations to limit themselves to two 90-minute entertainment shows a week, and to broadcast state-approved news daily, the New York Times reports. Government officials say... More »

Facebook, Twitter Hinder Revolutions

Deprived of the Internet, people get off their tushes and fight

(Newser) - Turns out Facebook and Twitter might actually be hurting revolutions. A political science grad student at Yale argues in a new essay that Egypt's former government quickened its downfall by cutting Internet and cell phone service in January. Instead of scrolling through messages and tweets about Lady Gaga, Egyptians... More »

US Underwriting 'Shadow' Internet

Obama administration leading efforts to help dissidents

(Newser) - One of the ways Egypt , Syria , and other regimes crack down on protesters is by shutting down telecommunications networks—but soon they may no long be able to do so. The New York Times takes a close look at the global effort, led by the US, to create “shadow”... More »

Syria's Internet Shuts Down

Networks dark as protests against Assad intensify; 60 dead

(Newser) - As protesters took to the streets with renewed ferocity in Syria today, roughly two-thirds of the country’s Internet networks abruptly disappeared from global routing tables, Bloomberg reports. As of this morning, 40 of the country’s 59 networks were unreachable. One state-run site confirmed that the government had “... More »

China Accuses US of Waging 'Internet War'

Sees 'shadow of America' behind Arab uprisings, urges tighter controls

(Newser) - The Chinese military issued a report today accusing the US of waging a worldwide "internet war" aimed at fomenting uprisings in the Middle East and elsewhere. Written by military academy scholars, the report urges the government to tighten its control of the web even further, according to the AP... More »

Facebook Looking for Way Into China: Report

Social networking site currently censored there, but in talk with partners

(Newser) - Facebook is in talks with would-be partners about ways it could gain access to the millions of Chinese people just dying to friend someone. The talks are in preliminary stages, and might not amount to anything, sources tell Bloomberg . Right now, Facebook is censored in China, as are Twitter, YouTube,... More »

China Cracks Down on Social Networking Sites

Politically sensitive material blocked after day of protests fizzles

(Newser) - The Chinese government has stepped up censorship of the Internet following a failed effort to use social networking sites to kickstart a North African-style "Jasmine Revolution ." Facebook and Twitter are banned in China but the Chinese equivalents have been flourishing. Government censors, however, moved swiftly to block all... More »

How Egypt Turned Off the Internet

Other regimes might be able to do the same thing

(Newser) - Conventional wisdom holds that the Internet is too resilient and decentralized for a government to simply shut it down, but Egypt managed to do just that, and engineers are just starting to realize how. Cairo controls—and was able to close off—the handful of lines that connect Egypt to... More »

Hackers Shut Down State Websites in Egypt

Internet returns, but Anonymous takes down government sites

(Newser) - The infamous hacker network known as Anonymous brought down the Egyptian government's websites yesterday in support of anti-Mubarak protesters, reports the New York Times . About 500 members attacked Egypt's Ministry of Information, Mubarak's National Democratic Party, and other related sites. “We want freedom,” said a member of Anonymous.... More »

Egypt Restores Internet

As army calls for end to the protests

(Newser) - Egyptian authorities tried to nudge the nation back toward normalcy today, bringing the Internet back online as the army called for an end to the protests. “You have the power to bring stability back to the country,” an army spokesman said in a televised address. “We are... More »

China Blocks 'Egypt' Search Term

Media offers limited coverage of protests

(Newser) - As protests continue to rage across Egypt, Chinese authorities have blocked Internet searches for the country’s name in its microblogging services. Big portals like Sohu.com and Sina.com have been offering the Twitter-like services, but a search for "Egypt" on Sina.com returns this message: "According... More »

Egypt Internet Shutdown 'Unprecedented'

Coordinated effort affected everything from mobile phones to laptops

(Newser) - The complete shutdown of nearly all online services just after midnight in Egypt is unprecedented in its scale, reports the AP . While governments around the world have disrupted online service during unrest (such as Iran did during protests in 2009), what sets Egypt's move apart is how apparently coordinated the... More »

New Kindle Finds Hole in 'Great Firewall of China'

Device selling like hotcakes on gray market

(Newser) - Amazon’s Kindle 3G has become the hottest item on China’s gray market, and not just for its e-book features. Chinese bloggers have been gleefully recommending the device because it can circumvent the government’s censorship measures—or as one put it, “scale the wall automatically.” Its... More »

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