We have witnessed in the last couple of years a striking increase in the number of devices seized by security agencies in Lebanon, a phenomenon that became more pronounced following the October 2019 uprising. When it comes to these seizures, the legal framework is vague and often exploited or circumvented[...]
This article is a crosspost from Global Voices. Editor’s note: This article is part of UPROAR, a Small Media initiative that is urging governments to address digital rights challenges at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). As new protests erupt in Lebanon, online repression is set to continue. In recent weeks,[...]
Egyptian authorities are arresting an increasing number of women on different charges related to their social media activity; in some cases, female TikTok users are receiving prison sentences and forced to pay hefty fines. The most recent case, which asserts that the accused women’s videos on TikTok stand in “violation[...]
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.