#authoritarian-censorship

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Information security
fromWIRED
2 hours ago

The Hack That Exposed Syria's Sweeping Security Failures

Syrian government accounts on X were hacked, revealing significant vulnerabilities in the state's cybersecurity practices.
#iran
Privacy technologies
fromnews.bitcoin.com
1 day ago

Iran's Internet Blackout Hits 35th Day as Citizens Risk Their Lives Reaching Out

The Iranian regime's digital blockade has lasted over 810 hours, severely limiting citizens' internet access and risking severe punishment for attempts to bypass it.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 day ago

Iran executes two convicted members of banned opposition group

Iran executed two men for PMOI/MEK membership, intensifying actions against dissidents amid ongoing conflict with the US and Israel.
World news
fromThe New Yorker
2 days ago

Searching for Iran's Disappeared Prisoners

Families are conducting forensics to locate detained loved ones at risk of abuse or execution amid ongoing conflict in Iran.
World news
fromwww.dw.com
1 week ago

Iran's internet blackout fuels fear and isolation

Tehran experienced significant military attacks, with Israeli strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure amid declining trust in state media among residents.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 weeks ago

War spirals as information control tightens

The war on Iran has escalated with increased leadership assassinations, a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and strikes on energy infrastructure.
Privacy technologies
fromnews.bitcoin.com
1 day ago

Iran's Internet Blackout Hits 35th Day as Citizens Risk Their Lives Reaching Out

The Iranian regime's digital blockade has lasted over 810 hours, severely limiting citizens' internet access and risking severe punishment for attempts to bypass it.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 day ago

Iran executes two convicted members of banned opposition group

Iran executed two men for PMOI/MEK membership, intensifying actions against dissidents amid ongoing conflict with the US and Israel.
World news
fromThe New Yorker
2 days ago

Searching for Iran's Disappeared Prisoners

Families are conducting forensics to locate detained loved ones at risk of abuse or execution amid ongoing conflict in Iran.
World news
fromwww.dw.com
1 week ago

Iran's internet blackout fuels fear and isolation

Tehran experienced significant military attacks, with Israeli strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure amid declining trust in state media among residents.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 weeks ago

War spirals as information control tightens

The war on Iran has escalated with increased leadership assassinations, a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and strikes on energy infrastructure.
World news
fromwww.npr.org
1 day ago

China's Communist Party investigates ex-Xinjiang leader Ma Xingrui

Former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui is under investigation for suspected violations of discipline and law amid ongoing scrutiny of China's treatment of ethnic minorities.
#belarus
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
1 day ago

Belarus' parliament outlaws LGBTQ+ "propaganda" - LGBTQ Nation

Belarus has enacted a law criminalizing LGBTQ+ propaganda, following Russia's example, with severe penalties for violations.
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
1 day ago

Belarus' parliament outlaws LGBTQ+ "propaganda" - LGBTQ Nation

Belarus has enacted a law criminalizing LGBTQ+ propaganda, following Russia's example, with severe penalties for violations.
Social justice
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

I will not yield': Taiwan convulsed by 17-year prison sentence for populist opposition figure

Ko Wen-je, sentenced to 17 years for corruption, rallied tens of thousands of supporters, asserting his resilience against the ruling party's attempts to eliminate him.
fromwww.dw.com
3 days ago

Hungary's government accused of spying on opposition

Many have described the situation as a 'return to dictatorship and Communist times.' The Constitution Protection Office is believed to have tried to infiltrate the opposition Tisza Party to obstruct its election participation.
Europe politics
#internet-censorship
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago
World politics

How Iran built a parallel internet and what it reveals about the future of digital authoritarianism - Silicon Canals

Russo-Ukrainian War
fromwww.theguardian.com
5 days ago

Russia slowly trying to splinter its internet from rest of world, analysts say

Russia is gradually isolating its internet from the world, impacting millions through mobile blackouts and restrictions on essential communication platforms.
Russo-Ukrainian War
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
2 weeks ago

Is Russia's internet blackout also intended to help enforce conscription more strictly? - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Russia has intensified internet censorship and communications control from 2025-2026, blocking major platforms and implementing mobile blackouts while enforcing stricter conscription laws.
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago
World politics

How Iran built a parallel internet and what it reveals about the future of digital authoritarianism - Silicon Canals

World news
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Internet blackout is tool of desperate regime to isolate Iranians, say experts

Iran implemented a near-total internet blackout following military strikes, primarily through intentional government action rather than infrastructure damage, to prevent coordinated opposition and maintain regime control.
World politics
fromThe Atlantic
3 days ago

The Perils of One-Man Rule

Trump admires Xi Jinping's strongman leadership, but Xi's ruthlessness is weakening China, as seen in military purges and leadership instability.
London politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
4 days ago

The attack on the right to protest in the UK is not just about Palestine

Recent trials of pro-Palestinian activists reveal politicised policing and legislation threatening free assembly in Britain.
France politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

Assault on justice': how far-right attacks are threatening rule of law in Europe

Marine Le Pen and Nicolas Sarkozy faced legal challenges, claiming political bias and injustice in the French judicial system.
fromThe Atlantic
1 day ago

The Iranian Opposition's Urgent Task

Pahlavi pledged to lead a transition to a 'free and democratic Iran.' He called on President Trump to continue the American-Israeli military operation against Iran, in the hope of displacing a regime he decried for placing a 'sea of blood' between itself and its people.
World news
fromRadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
1 week ago

Russia Bans Oscar-Winning Documentary 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin'

The film follows Talankin in his job at a school in the poor mining town of Karabash in the Chelyabinsk region, showing how the Russian government indoctrinates students with pro-war messages.
Independent films
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

They can reach me wherever': China using financial tactics to coerce people who flee, says report

Transnational repression tactics by Hong Kong authorities target dissidents abroad, using financial means to intimidate and control them.
Privacy technologies
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Australia wants to sell its social media ban to the world but are the measures even working?

Age assurance technology is ineffective, with many teens bypassing age verification and platforms failing to enforce compliance with the social media ban.
Left-wing politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

Trump's sanctions against a UN human rights expert show free speech is dying |

Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinian people, as concluded by multiple international human rights organizations and experts.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

Police in Hong Kong can now demand phone and computer passwords under amended national security law

The new amendments empower police to require a person under investigation suspected of endangering national security to provide any password or decryption method for electronic devices and to provide the police any reasonable and necessary information or assistance.
EU data protection
World politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

The Guardian view on Myanmar's forgotten war: the military cosplay democracy but people demand the real thing | Editorial

China's support for Myanmar's junta highlights the ongoing struggle for democracy amid military control and widespread violence against civilians.
Media industry
fromwww.mediaite.com
2 weeks ago

China Censors CNN Report on Chinese Censorship Live on Air

CNN was censored live on air while reporting on China's censorship of AI-generated Trump content, demonstrating Beijing's immediate response to discussions about its censorship operations.
fromwww.dw.com
2 weeks ago

Why Syria's new alcohol ban is about much more than beer

"The news was both surprising and upsetting. Damascus has historically been a city that embraces everyone and diversity is its true identity. This decision makes us feel like we're losing a part of the city's open spirit. It's not just about the drink itself, but about freedom of choice."
Social justice
NYC parents
fromThe Atlantic
3 weeks ago

Today's Atlantic Trivia: Authoritarianism

The Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, a group of mothers whose children disappeared during Argentina's dictatorship, continue protesting weekly in Buenos Aires nearly five decades after their movement began in 1977.
Russo-Ukrainian War
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 week ago

My phone is a brick': Russians scramble for information as data blocked

Ukrainian drone attacks have led to internet blackouts in Russia, prompting authorities to promote offline activities among citizens.
fromSecurityWeek
1 week ago

Iran Built a Vast Camera Network to Control Dissent. Israel Turned It Into a Targeting Tool

On Feb. 28, Israel vividly demonstrated the potential of such systems to be hacked and used against adversaries when Israel tracked down Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the help of Tehran's own street cameras - despite repeated warnings that Iran's surveillance systems had been compromised.
World politics
Russo-Ukrainian War
fromwww.dw.com
1 week ago

Pro-Kremlin blogger turns on Putin, sent to psychiatric care

Ilya Remeslo publicly renounced support for Putin, citing the failing war in Ukraine and calling for his resignation and justice as a war criminal.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
3 weeks ago

The hidden battlefield: Censorship in the IsraelIran war

As missiles strike across Israel and Iran, what are we really allowed to see? With strict censorship and limited access, journalists and the public are seeing only part of the story: Who decides what information gets out, and what does that mean for truth in a war affecting millions?
Media industry
Berlin
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

Iran strikes highlight Dubai influencers' free speech limits

Dubai influencers are posting viral videos reassuring residents about safety amid regional tensions, featuring UAE leadership and attributing security to government protection.
Privacy professionals
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

The Chinese government's ChatGPT account revealed a global operation to silence dissidents

China operates large-scale coordinated inauthentic campaigns using hundreds of staff and thousands of fake accounts across social media platforms to silence political critics globally.
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
4 weeks ago

Russia bans LGBTQ+ rights group "Coming Out" in secret trial - LGBTQ Nation

Russia's court designated Coming Out, a prominent LGBTQ+ rights organization, as extremist, marking the first documented case following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the international LGBT movement.
Russo-Ukrainian War
fromBusiness Insider
2 weeks ago

Inside the race to cut Russia off from the global internet

Russian military communications face severe disruption as SpaceX cuts Starlink access and authorities restrict Telegram, forcing troops to seek unreliable alternatives while the Kremlin systematically blocks major communication platforms.
#internet-blackout
World news
fromTheregister
2 weeks ago

Iran's internet blackout enters day 18

Iran has imposed an 18-day near-total internet blackout affecting over 400 consecutive hours, with only select state-aligned users granted access to control information flow.
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Five arrested in Cuba after protest at local Communist party office

Videos shared on social media show the protesters ransacking the office, removing documents, equipment and furniture, and burning everything in the street. A smaller group also threw stones. What began peacefully, after an exchange with the authorities in the area, degenerated into vandalism against the headquarters of municipal committee of the Communist party.
World news
fromNieman Lab
3 weeks ago

Iran's divided media landscape makes getting information during wartime even harder

Iran's media landscape is divided between outlets closely affiliated with the state and those considered reformist. State-aligned outlets include organizations such as Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Tasnim, Fars News, and Mehr News. These conservative outlets often promote narratives that support Iran's ruling clerical establishment.
World news
#alexei-navalny
World politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Autocracy is rising in the west. But the global south proves it's not inevitable | Kenneth Roth

Autocrats face growing internal pressure from their populations, while democracy remains valued globally despite Western challenges from far-right movements and disaffected voters.
#ai-weiwei
US politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Trump-led abuses amid democratic recession' put human rights in peril, HRW report says

Global democratic backsliding endangers human rights and the rules-based order, with concentrated assaults on US democratic institutions and accountability mechanisms.
Women
fromwww.nytimes.com
2 months ago

Secret Filming of Women Thrives in China as Officials Silence Activists

Anonymous Telegram groups in China trade secretly filmed nude or seminude photos and videos of women and girls taken with hidden cameras, with minimal enforcement.
World politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

Iran rejects fictional narratives' of power grab after protest killings

Iranian authorities deny French media reports claiming former President Rouhani attempted to overthrow Supreme Leader Khamenei during recent protests, characterizing the claims as false propaganda.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

How Autocrats Meddle With Elections

More than 60,000 North Carolina ballots were challenged in 2024, including longtime voter Dawn Baldwin Gibson's early ballot in the state Supreme Court race.
Miscellaneous
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Russian crackdown on Telegram app prompts rare criticism from soldiers, pro-war bloggers and officials

Russia's planned slowdown of Telegram threatens military communications and civil freedoms while promoting a state-backed super-app and seeking a more controllable, sovereign internet.
US politics
fromThe Nation
1 month ago

Freedoms Under Threat

Independent, progressive journalism holds the powerful accountable, centers marginalized communities, exposes distortions, and relies on reader support to sustain urgent coverage.
#iran-protests
#splinternet
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

Iran: Reformists arrested as crackdown on dissent widens

Iranian security forces have arrested several figures from the country's reformist movement, local media reported on Monday, as Tehran's crackdown on dissent continues to widen. Those arrested include Azar Mansouri, the head of the Reformist Front, which represents several factions, former diplomat Mohsen Aminzadeh and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, who was part of the group that stormed the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
World politics
World news
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Radio Free Asia resumes broadcasts to China after Trump cuts forced near closure

Radio Free Asia has resumed broadcasts to China in Mandarin, Tibetan, and Uyghur after restarting transmission via private contracts despite prior US funding cuts.
World news
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

How an Assad-era law is threatening Syrian civil society

Law No. 93 of 1958 remains in force in Syria, allowing the state to control, restrict and dissolve civil society organizations without judicial oversight.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Russia attempted to fully block' WhatsApp, Meta-owned company says

Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia. We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected. The move fits into the Kremlin's aim to achieve a sovereign internet an online space cut off from western technology and foreign influence, and more vulnerable to state control.
World news
World news
fromTruthout
2 months ago

Police States Are Terrifying, But They Are Brittle. I Witnessed This in Tunisia.

A mass movement in Tunisia toppled a 24-year dictator fifteen years ago, showing how quickly entrenched authoritarian systems can collapse.
fromEngadget
1 month ago

WhatsApp is now fully blocked in Russia

"Today the Russian government has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive users to a state-owned surveillance app," Meta told the FT in a statement. "Trying to isolate over 100 million people from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia."
World news
World news
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
2 months ago

Putin is abusing INTERPOL to 'pursue critics' such as journalists and those connected to Ukraine - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

INTERPOL is being exploited by Russia to pursue critics, journalists, activists, and others internationally, undermining protections against political persecution and neutral legal mechanisms.
World news
fromwww.mercurynews.com
1 month ago

Stephens: Dissidents are silenced, and the West moves on

Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong pro-democracy media founder, received a 20-year prison sentence after years of activism and escalating Beijing-led crackdowns on Hong Kong freedoms.
World news
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Iran plans permanent break from global internet, say activists

Iran plans to permanently restrict general access to the global internet, granting filtered international connectivity only to regime-vetted individuals while others use a national intranet.
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

China: Two journalists reportedly held after exposing graft

Two independent journalists were detained by Chinese officials after they published a report alleging corruption by a local official in southwestern China, rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday, condemning the incident. Police in Chengdu said they were investigating a 50-year-old man surnamed Liu and a 34-year-old surnamed Wu on suspicion of making "false accusations" and conducting "illegal business operations." Authorities said they were placed under "criminal coercive measures," a term typically referring to detention.
World news
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