Speech
Hong Kong protesters use offline message apps Bridgefy and FireChat to avoid censorship
This type of offline app has a crucial role in circumventing censors – even if the authorities, too, can hop on to the network at will.
YouTube is now removing over 100,000 videos per quarter for “hate speech”
Yet another example of YouTube moving towards so-called “authoritative sources” while neglecting independent creators.
Chinese-style social media censorship is increasingly influencing Western platforms
Chinese-style social media censorship – coming to a Western democracy near you.
Governments around the world are increasingly shutting off the internet, putting citizens at risk
23 countries deployed internet blackouts 114 times as a control technique in the first six months of 2019 alone.
Reddit tests warning users about some communities
Reddit often quarantines communities because they don’t remove posts. Now it’s warning users who visit communities that remove too many posts.
Facebook limits account of pro-life non-profit Live Action, telling followers that their content is fake news
Live Action has previously been censored by Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.
Senator Josh Hawley calls out big tech for “sophisticated exploitation” of Americans
According to Hawley, the industry is now stagnant useful ideas-wise and is instead making money off previous, true innovations, by locking users more and more deeply into their “addiction”.
Facebook and Twitter to meet with FEC to discuss fake news and 2020 elections
Google has not responded whether it will send a representative or not.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam hints at introducing surveillance firewall to crush protests
It’s been suggested that an Emergency Regulations Ordinance could be brought in if protests continue.
Google bans another developer and won’t tell them why
The final message from “Google Play team” reads: “I’m not able to provide any more information or a better answer to your question. In our previous email, I made sure to include all the information available to me.”
First amendment institute tells AOC to stop blocking critics online, AOC says no
Ocasio-Cortez has been sued for blocking people on Twitter after multiple courts ruled that it’s unconstitutional.
Pinterest alters vaccine search results to say “Vaccines work” and “Vaccines are safe and effective”
Pinterest has announced that it will start displaying information from public health organizations whenever users search for vaccines and vaccine-related terms.