Freedom of expression

If we don’t consider the recent actions —particularly by the US government— against people connected to WikiLeaks as human rights violations, then a dangerous precedent is set says APC in a statement.

Late last week, the popular hosting service Wordpress had been hit by massive and sustained distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks .

7 Billion Voices is a new online campaign whose goal is “to give everyone a voice without censorship, interference or fear of what happens after expression.” Its members advocate that the European Union take a leading role with comprehensive and effective strategies for protecting freedom of expression online, and that its leaders inco

On February 24th, LinkedIn – the popular business social networking site – was unexpectedly unavailable in China. Users suspected the site had fallen victim to China’s strict censorship regime, often called the Great Firewall. Fortunately, LinkedIn’s sudden disappearance appears to have been only temporary, as the site was accessible again late Friday evening.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently reported the Ford Foundation is advocating that the internet is not merely a way to help further social change, but is integral to making that change happen.

The world has witnessed in Egypt and Tunisia that when governments feel threatened not only do they censor individuals but they also try to take away the tools they use to contact and inform each other and organise. APC thinks that internet rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of association, should not be taken from granted, and is working both globally and locally to make them a...

“The power of people communicating in solidarity and joint action is a power that even the most over-confident rulers and regimes cannot overcome, not in the long term”, said APC’s executive director Anriette Esterhuysen. “What is happening in Egypt and Tunisia is a demonstration of people’s outrage and courage in the face of long term repression – now played out on and supported by...

“For those who don't know Tunisia,” writes Khaled Koubaa, Global Information Society Watcher based in Tunis. “Tunisia is a small country but a great nation. It was the first Arab country to abolish slavery in 1848, the first Arab country to establish a constitution in 1861, the first Arab country to abolish polygamy in 1956 and legalise abortion in 1973. And now Tunisia is the first Arab ...