censorship

Podcasts and Videos

Understanding Hate and Hate Speech: What does it mean for women and other oppressed groups?

Posted Wed 27 Apr 2022 - 12:57 | 1,974 views

Living under constant fear of being targeted with religious hate and hate speech is a shared experience of Sri Lanka’s Muslim community. In this podcast, journalist and researcher Sara Pathirana talks to Sheikh Arkam Nooramith – a Sri Lankan Islamic scholar, and Ms. Hafsah Muheed – an experienced professional working on gender-based violence and women’s health, about how the community deals...

Image description: Dr. Li Wenliang with mask

Feminist talk

What you need to know about censorship in China around COVID-19

Posted Sat 2 May 2020 - 13:18 | 5,571 views

The pandemic has amplified our need for a safe and secure internet, but can we have one now without surveillance and censorship. Read here to know what happened at the original epicentre of the COVID-19 virus and what measures of internet censorship were deemed necessary by the Chinese government to bring the pandemic under control.

Image description: Illustration of protesters

Feminist talk

We are Sisters in Islam

Posted Thu 3 Oct 2019 - 09:12 | 15,189 views

In 2019 the High Court of Malaya (Malaysia) upheld a fatwa ruling that bans the organisation Sisters in Islam for going against Islamic teachings. In particular, this ruling limits their use of social media. Read more to hear about the complexities of activism and speech in Malaysia for feminist groups and individuals.

Image description: People working at separate desks to make screens

In depth

Are we any better at judging right from wrong? Automation in content moderation

Posted Mon 23 Sep 2019 - 20:11 | 9,765 views

Censorship has been replaced online by a system of content moderation controlled by companies, and these rely on both automation as well as human moderators employed to sift through content. The choice is not between the alleged neutrality of the impersonal machine and the errors and finiteness of human moderation, as both work in tandem.

Image description: Illustration of body and various objects

In depth

Private Parts: Obscenity and Censorship in the Digital Age

Posted Mon 24 Jun 2019 - 11:28 | 12,171 views

Between right-wing governments and corporate capture of online spaces, there are interesting shifts in how sexuality is censored and governed online and offline. This article looks at the reach and over-reach of laws related to obscenity and censorship in South Asia and the impact that has had on free speech around sex, sex work and sexuality.

Image description: Woman on bed looking at laptop, dildo next to her

Feminist talk

Turning from Tumblr: Where is sex positivity on the internet going?

Posted Tue 12 Mar 2019 - 09:45 | 11,642 views

The Tumblr porn ban reveals how laws in one country against sex trafficking can be used to police content online, and especially has an impact on queer, trans and other sexuality related content. Here Tiffany Mugo talks about what that does to the discourse around sex positivity online.

Cover of report On sieges and shutdowns

Publication

Of Sieges and Shutdowns: How unreliable mobile networks and intentional Internet shutdowns affect the lives of women in Manipur

Posted Thu 6 Dec 2018 - 10:43 | 4,232 views
A study on the impact of network shutdowns, closure of mobile internet connectivity services in Manipur.
Sex workers march in 2009, Mexico city

Publication

A Brief Introduction to FOSTA-SESTA

Posted Fri 2 Nov 2018 - 11:31 | 6,749 views
A zine on the implications of the new laws on sex trafficking that has implications for digital rights, rights of sex worker groups and sex workers. Though the law has been introduced in the United States of America, the implications are global as censorship curtails global platforms such as Skype, and could have potential implications on internet censorship norms globally.
An illustration of a mobile phone with blank browser screens popping out on a green background. A bi

Feminist talk

The Case of Selective Morality, Sexist Laws and Online Censorship in Pakistan

Posted Tue 19 Jul 2022 - 08:53 | 2,642 views

Internet censorship in the name of morality in Pakistan is rampant, and the trend continues to grow as new laws and regulations are introduced. But just a cursory look at this trend reveals that the censorship is not just vague, but also sexist, targeting women's expression and experiences online.

woman opening her mouse to take a pill

Feminist talk

South Korea: Censorship of telemedical services as a form of denying abortion access

Posted Thu 29 Apr 2021 - 20:04 | 4,020 views

When countries invoke peripheral laws such as pharmaceutical violations or conscientious objection clauses as justification for blocking, restricting, or limiting abortion access, they are invariably creating additional barriers, not upholding legal integrity.