IRHR - News
Philippines : Supreme Court to rule on controversial Cybercrime Prevention Act
On October 9, the Supreme Court of the Philippines will decide on the constitutionality of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. This cyberlaw has been contested from day one, after internet activists had pointed to truly problematic provisions incompatible with internet rights.
Focus on internet and human rights in Azerbaijan: Interview with Vugar Gojayev
Since the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011, government has shown much desire to regulate the internet. The uprising in the Guba district in March 2012 has shown the pivotal role that social media can play in Azerbaijani political life, Vugar Gojayev told APCNews, in an interview for the forthcoming Global Information Society Watch report.
Focus on internet and human rights in Pakistan: Interview with Bytes for All
The media in Pakistan has been tardy to address threats to internet freedom – especially Urdu media. There is little to no coverage of internet rights violations and censorship the electronic media, Bytes for All told APCNews about in an interview for the forthcoming Global Information Society Watch report.
Focus on internet and human rights in Argentina: Interview with Nodo TAU
“The main issues that should be focused on in Argentina today are freedom of expression, access to information and free circulation of culture,” says Nodo TAU in an interview related to a forthcoming report they wrote for the Global Information Society Watch.
Internet and the UN Human Rights Council: The good, the bad and the road ahead
It’s been a year of increasing debates about the internet and human rights among governments in the UN. Read this account of the main developments since 2011 and the challenges ahead.
It’s OurTube: Religion-based censorship will only fuel hate speech
Bytes for All, Pakistan, strongly condemns hate speech on the Internet, however banning channels of communication, limiting access to information platforms, and steps to curtail free expression only serve to pave the way for politics-based control systems that curb the voices of individuals.
Pakistan: Bloggers and journalists to duck digital threats
“Pakistan is among the world’s most dangerous places for journalists,” reads a report recently produced and published by Bytes For All, Pakistan. Based on a research survey commissioned by Internews, the report takes a hard look at the awareness Pakistani journalists and bloggers have of their own digital security.
Victory for freedom of expression in South Korea
On the 23rd of August 2012, South Korean digital rights organisation Jinbonet won a long struggle. For the last five years, the APC member group fought an internet real name system regulation, ruled unconstitutional by the country’s highest court.
Macedonians under high (cyber) surveillance
Skopje is not exactly a landmark for free thinkers, social critics and other kinds of independent folks. However, that does not mean that discordant voices do not make themselves heard. A chronicle of media resistance in Macedonia.
New regulation threatens anonymity on the internet in Ecuador
The people of Ecuador are working together to get the government to change a new regulation that will allow the state to collect users’ personal data without a warrant.
South Sudan: The #OSJUBA event stresses early moves by net activists
Imagine a city torn by war, overwhelmed with daily influx of people from the countryside, becoming the capital of a country from one day to the next. And then picture crazy computer people ruffled together in an abandoned supermarket, thousands of kilometres away, in another city, trying to fix the first city. These two images put together are called #OSJUBA. OS for open source and Juba for the capital of the latest country in the world, South Sudan.
Who controls the Internet? Final statement of the Pan African Civil Society Workshop
From July 26-27, diverse civil society organisations from the human rights, media and ICT policy sectors met in Nairobi to discuss “Who controls the internet” at a Pan African Civil Society workshop. This is their final statement.
Internet rights at the 13th session of the Universal Periodic Review: responses and follow-up
In May 2012, APC supported participation in the 13th session of the UPR by members and networks from Ecuador, India, Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines, following stakeholder report submissions made in late 2011. Several governments expressed interest in internet-related issues, including the right to information, freedom of expression, and cybersecurity.
Connect Your Rights! New and upcoming challenges
In the past months many liberal democracies, such as the USA and the United Kingdom, have adopted repressive measures and made clear attempts to the free and democratic participation of people online. In parallel, activists all around the world are using the internet and social networks to denounce these rights abuses and work together to create more just and efficient legislations.
The UN recognises freedom of expression on the internet as a human right
“The same rights that people have offline must also be protected online,” says an unprecedented resolution approved recently by the Human Rights Council.
Locking up cyberspace for minorities in Pakistan
Since 2007, freedom of expression on the internet has been compromised in Pakistan. The authorities started with blocking blasphemous content, went on to national security issues, then religious morality, and they are now targeting online content pertaining to minorities.
Declaration of internet freedom
A collective that believes the internet should be an open and free space has agreed on some basic principles to start a global conversation: expression, access, openness, innovation and privacy. Join APC in supporting the declaration.
Open Letter: Google in Pakistan - Local and global civil society raises eyebrows
The Association for Progressive Communications and its member group in Pakistan, Bytes For All, is deeply concerned about Google’s latest business trip to Pakistan. Here are a few questions on Google’s planned policy on data retention and collection.
UN Human Rights Council holds first-ever discussion on Women Human Rights Defenders
The 20th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council convened a 3-hour panel on 26 June on Women Human Rights Defenders as part of its annual full-day discussion on women’s human rights.
Three days of action
The Association for Progressive Communications is running three days of action this week – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – as part of its Connect Your Rights! campaign. Help us spread the word that Internet Rights are Human Rights! with three simple actions for you and your friends can undertake.
