freedom of expression
Mexico’s Constitution recognises the right of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, the population has a low rate of access to the internet. The law recognises net neutrality, including the principles of non-discrimination and free access. However, there is documentary evidence of practices that run contrary to these principles. The Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT – Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones) should issue guidelines on internet traff...
Paraguay experienced state and private surveillance during the military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989). However, the democratic period is not exempt from similar practices or new forms of abusive intrusion into the lives of citizens. This report analyses surveillance and violations of basic rights that continue in this democratic period in Paraguay, in other forms including surveillance using the internet. It also documents the heightening of some processes such as tougher pen...
What is the state of internet freedoms in Latin America? That is the main question that our partners in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Paraguay set out to answer, as part of the Examining Internet Freedoms in Latin America project. With their country reports, Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (Mexico), Sulá Batsú (Costa Rica), Fundación Karisma (Colombia) and TEDIC (Paraguay) offer ...
Although Colombia has challenges guaranteeing internet access to all its population, the internet has become an essential tool for the development of many activities and the exercise of fundamental rights like freedom of expression and access to knowledge. Legislation and jurisprudence applicable to the internet have not been systematic, and this has often had major effects on whether the inter...
Bytes for All, Pakistan, at the Internet Freedom Festival. Valencia, 4 March 2016 “Taboos are on issues like LGBT, more than on fundamentalist and sectarian speech.” “Political expression, religious expression, minorities, human rights defenders, journalists are under threat.” “There is a feeling of panic, references to vague threats that end up criminalising journalists a...
“Joining Forces to Fight Censorship and Surveillance” is the motto of the Internet Freedom Festival (IFF) taking place in Valencia 1-6 March. The IFF has become one of the main worldwide events for activists, journalists and members of the technical community to gather around issues of surveillance, censorship and cirvumvention, with more than 800 participants this year. As a “friend of t...
The best way to counter alleged misinformation is more information, not the restriction of information. This was the conclusion of a letter sent by Malaysian human rights group EMPOWER (also known as Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor), in reaction to the latest internet censorship developments in the country. The blocking of The Malaysian Insider by the Malaysian Communications and Multimed...
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER) is outraged at the blocking of The Malaysian Insider by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). We are alarmed that this is only the latest manifestation of an ongoing and worsening trend of internet censorship in Malaysia. Section 3 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998) indeed provides that “[n]othing i...
Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are internationally guaranteed, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing rights to be enjoyed by all individuals without any form of discrimination. Yet, freedom of religion has often been pitted against freedom of expression, especially as fears of violent extremism and xenophobia have spread in recent times, resulting in violations of...
Violations of freedom of expression in the name of religion, are increasingly taking place online, and disproportionally impact women and sexual minorities. This was the focus of a statement launched by APC and Bytes for All, Pakistan to contribute to the last report of the UN Special Rapporteur of Freedom of Religion or Belief’s, released in light of the upcoming Human Rights Council ses...
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