- Eyes on Internet Shutdowns This is the first of a series of posts to mark the official launch of WITNESS’ global campaign on internet shutdowns, that highlights community strategies for documenting human rights abuses during a shutdown. Visit the campaign homepage to stay updated about new resources. This blog post is available in Spanish, Arabic and Farsi. In an impassioned […]
- The wrongfulness of Nigeria’s ban on Twitter Published on 11 June 2021 On June 4th when I saw the announcement on Twitter that the Nigerian government was placing a ban on Twitter’s operations in the country due to what they vaguely described as “activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence” it was immediately clear that this was Nigeria’s retaliation against Twitter for […]
- Truth, lies and social media accountability in 2021 In 2021, critical issues at the intersection of social media, accountability, and human rights are finally at the center of global public discussion. It took the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol to lead to social media platforms finally suspending former President Donald Trump’s accounts and forcing a discussion about online content, hate and violence. […]
- Human rights defenders are not terrorists, and their content is not propaganda Counter-terrorism is not a field that is known for its respect of human rights. The word terrorism, though it does not have any commonly agreed upon legal or societal definition, has often led to the implementation of repressive measures, not only in authoritarian regimes, but also in countries recognized as democracies. The United Nations Office […]
- Cyber-Violence against the Marginalised in Sri Lanka Digital community spaces serve as important tools for Sri Lankan women and the LBT community. A recent research study conducted by Groundviews reveal that deep-rooted misogynistic attitudes driven by hate and fear drive cyber-violence against the marginalised.
- European “terrorist content” proposal is dangerous for human rights globally This post was updated at 14:40 CET to note result from 6 December 2018 meeting of the Home Affairs Council. There’s a reason why, when courts function properly, they offer more due process than corporations when it comes to making decisions about free expression. Deciding what speech can take place in public forums in democratic […]
- Alex Jones, Myanmar, and free expression online Imagine ending up in jail with no understanding of what the charges against you are, no idea what legal process you will be facing, and no idea what happens if you appeal your conviction- or even how to appeal. It sounds like a Kafka novel, but that’s how social media platforms operate today. It has […]
- New United Nations Report calls on companies to take a “A Human Rights Approach to Platform Content Regulation” Our Tech+Advocacy Program Manager Dia Kayyali breaks down the Special Rapporteur's newest report to the UN Human Rights Council, a report calling for a "human rights approach to platform content moderation."
- Last Month In Video: 2017, a year of extremes Video had a big role to play in 2017. From YouTube takedowns to fake news, police bodycams to a historic ICC arrest warrant, here's our last year in video review.
