A few weeks ago Ogero, the ministry of telecommunications operated internet service provider (ISP), blocked Grindr, a popular gay online dating application, due to a court order from the general disciplinary judge Marie Abou Mourad, which stated that the application “secures romantic and sexual liaisons for homosexuals and bisexuals.” The[...]
On Wednesday, February 27, SMEX officially launched its online freedom of expression (FoE) case database, Muhal (muhal.org), at its Masaha space in Beirut. Muhal is SMEX’s ongoing, evidence-based campaign to document detentions and arrests related to online freedom of speech in Lebanon. SMEX Executive Director Mohamad Najem presented attendees with[...]
Join us at 6 PM on Wednesday, February 27 for the launch of Muhal, an open database that documents online freedom of expression violations. We have collected data, including the charges, the punishment, and a description of each case, from local news articles and independent sources. By aggregating and publishing[...]
Feature image via IMEIInfo.com: An example of an IMEI number. The Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications recently announced that residents must register the International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) associated with their phone numbers on a new website. After people register their IMEI number, the ministry then sends them a link, which[...]
Though Coursera did not respond to SMEX’s request for comment, the restriction of both platforms in Syria is likely linked to the reimposition of the Iran sanctions. Previously, Coursera totally restricted access to its content in Syria in 2014, but quickly reinstated access to the majority of the courses, limiting[...]
Feature image via Bora S. Kamel, Flickr, July 8, 2012: Censorship has gone beyond print publications to electronic publications. The Sudan National Assembly passed the Law on Combating Cybercrimes of 2018, referred to as the “Cybercrimes Law,” on June 10, just days before the government approved a bill amending the[...]
Last week, protests broke out in Basra and quickly spread across southern Iraq. On Saturday, the Iraqi government began intermittently shutting down the internet and reduced the connection speed across the country. #End_internet_shutdowns because they violate Iraqis’ rights to freedom of expression and puts them in great danger.
Feature image October 26, 2017: The Great Departed playing in Zurich. On May 11, SMEX and Lebanese band Al-Rahel Al-Kabir (The Great Departed) launched a petition demanding that iTunes Middle East release a public explanation for its refusal to upload five of the band’s songs, which mock religious fundamentalism, political[...]
Feature image via Breaking News Syria August 7, 2017: The headquarters of Syrian Criminal Security, the apparatus that runs the Cybercrimes branch. Update: After being approved by the Syrian parliament on March 18, 2018, the new anti-cybercrime legislation (Law 9/2018) was officially decreed by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on Monday[...]
