Security or repression?
Is this an organized political protest or a sophisticated, internet-using populace?
Russia internet freedom: Thousands protest against cyber-security bill
Thousands of people in Russia have protested against plans to introduce tighter restrictions on the internet.
 |
| Moscow protest |
A mass rally in Moscow and similar demonstrations in two other cities were called after parliament backed the controversial bill last month.
The government says the bill, which allows it to isolate Russia's internet service from the rest of the world, will improve cyber-security.
But campaigners say it is an attempt to increase censorship and stifle dissent.
Activists say more than 15,000 people gathered in Moscow on Sunday, which is double the estimate given by the police…
"If we do nothing it will get worse," one protester told Reuters news agency. "The authorities will keep following their own way and the point of no return will be passed."
Another campaigner, Sergei Boiko, told AFP news agency that "the government is battling freedom"…
The government says the so-called digital sovereignty bill will reduce Russia's reliance on internet servers in the United States.
It seeks to stop the country's internet traffic being routed through foreign servers.
A second vote is expected later this month.
If it is passed it will eventually need to be signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has introduced a swathe of tougher internet laws in recent years. On Thursday, its parliament passed two bills outlawing "disrespect" of authorities and the spreading of what the government deems to be "fake news"…
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Labels: Internet, politics, protest, Russia
Not Internet, Intranet
Like the government in China, the government in Iran tries to limit citizens' access to the World Wide Web. Now the Iranians are building an Iran-only Intranet.
Iran rolls out domestic internet
Iran has announced it has completed the first phase of its plan to operate a "national internet".
 |
| Mahmoud Vaezi |
An inauguration ceremony was held on Sunday by the country's communications and information technology minister, Mahmoud Vaezi.
The state news agency Irna said the initiative would offer "high quality, high speed" connections at "low costs".
But critics suggest the true aim is to tighten the authorities' control over citizens' use of the net…
The government says the goal is to create an isolated domestic intranet that can be used to promote Islamic content and raise digital awareness among the public.
"All domestic activities, services, applications [and] various types of contents... are included in the national internet," he declared at the launch.
The minister added that the initiative would make it easier to combat cyber-threats…
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Labels: Internet, Iran, political culture
Catching up with technology
Decentralized technology makes it more and more difficult to exercise control over people's behavior. China's ruling CPC keeps trying.
China demands stricter rules for live streaming
China's internet regulator has demanded stricter controls over the popular practice of live streaming, as part of a range of new requirements for sites.
As well as asking sites to step up control of live broadcasts, the Cyberspace Administration of China wants the content monitored full-time…
There are an an estimated 80 platforms in use around the country, with some gaining notoriety for hosting live broadcasts of stunts that have gone viral.
The People's Daily reported that the CAC statement asked sites to "strengthen security evaluation of new products like live broadcast". It also said the the new requirements would apply to "bullet-screens" - where online user comments pop-up on top of live videos.
It is just one of a range of new requirements placed on websites to better regulate themselves, including putting the onus on them to set up 24-hour monitoring of their online content…
In April… one of China's biggest internet stars, comedian and vlogger, Papi Jiang promised to "correct" herself, after warnings from government officials over her foul language…
 |
| Xia Keke |
The content is monetized by allowing viewers to purchase virtual gifts for real money and send them to the host of any stream they particularly like. The revenue coming in from those gifts is then shared between the host and the streaming site.
One of China's biggest live streaming stars is Xia Keke, a 22-year old woman, who by chatting, singing and dancing has reportedly managed to earn more than $700,000 last year…
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The Comparative Government and Politics Review Checklist.
Two pages summarizing the course requirements to help you review and study for the final and for the big exam in May. . It contains a description of comparative methods, a list of commonly used theories
, a list of vital concepts, thumbnail descriptions of the AP6,
and
a description of the AP exam format
. $2.00.
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Labels: China, civil rights, Internet, politics
China's firewall
The firewall is political. It's becoming more effective.
The Internet was supposed to foster democracy. China has different ideas.
It is part of China’s larger effort to… disprove the notion that the flow of ideas across the World Wide Web would be an unstoppable force toward democracy. News and information that might threaten the Communist Party are kept out of the country under a system of censorship known as the Great Firewall, while foreign social-media networks such as Facebook and Twitter that allow private citizens to share ideas and join forces are also banned. Behind the wall, China’s own social-media networks are closely policed to ensure public opinion does not coalesce into a threat to one-party rule…
Indeed, social media is increasingly being harnessed by autocratic regimes to bolster their rule, says University of Toronto political scientist Seva Gunitsky. It helps dictatorships gauge public opinion and discover otherwise hidden grievances, while also allowing them to disseminate propaganda and shape the contours of public debate.
“China has been at the forefront of this, and they are quickly getting very sophisticated about it,” he said. “Social media can allow autocrats to become stronger, more informed and more adaptable…
Censors work selectively, especially targeting posts that threaten to spur some form of collective action. Pro-government voices generally do not engage critics in discussion or argument… but do often subject them to personal attack…
Ordinary citizens, meanwhile, were warned off with a threat of up to three years in jail for spreading rumors if their posts were viewed more than 5,000 times or reposted 500 times.
Real-name verification was introduced for social-media accounts, while the government warned Internet giant Sina last year to intensify its own censorship of online comments…
Broadening the campaign, China’s Internet regulator told news websites on June 21 to crack down on online comment sections, cleaning up comments that violated what are described as “nine don’ts and seven bottom lines,” including endangering state security, challenging socialism and inciting ethnic hatred…
Some posters are popularly believed to be paid — the “wumao” (the 50-cent Party) who are supposedly given half a renminbi ($0.08) for every post praising the government or denigrating its critics.
But a much larger number may just be employees of the state, doing part-time work outside their main jobs to support the party’s agenda.
Various arms of the Chinese government, together with individual state employees, by their own admission operate more than 150,000 official Weibo [a government-approved version of Twitter] accounts, but the real number of accounts run by state employees could be far higher…
Others are volunteers, reportedly recruited by the Communist Youth League in the millions to spread “positive energy” and “civilize” the Internet…
True believers could come from a new breed of young people, brought up after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, who are proud of China’s rising global power and suspicious of Western criticism as an attempt to block its rise…
President Xi says he wants an Internet that is “clear and bright” but in April told leaders of the country’s top Internet companies, as well as officials and academics, that he did not want to shut down criticism entirely.
Indeed, he called for “more tolerance and patience” toward netizens and said he welcomed online criticism “whether mild or fierce,” as long as it arises from goodwill, the People’s Daily reported.
Authorities then apparently censored negative reactions to his speech on social media…
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Just The Facts! 2nd edition is a concise guide to concepts, terminology, and examples that will appear on May's exam.
Just The Facts! is available. Order HERE.
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The Comparative Government and Politics Review Checklist.
Two pages summarizing the course requirements to help you review and study for the final and for the big exam in May. . It contains a description of comparative methods, a list of commonly used theories
, a list of vital concepts, thumbnail descriptions of the AP6,
and
a description of the AP exam format
. $2.00.
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What You Need to Know: Teaching Tools, the original version and v2.0 are available to help curriculum planning.
Labels: censorship, China, Internet, politics, social media
Whose Internet?
A very prominent presidential candidate in the USA wants to prevent
terrorists from using "our Internet." China's president wants "cyber
sovereignty." Whose Internet is it? Is sovereignty involved?
Xi Jinping calls for 'cyber sovereignty'
China's
President Xi Jinping has called on countries to respect one another's
"cyber sovereignty" and different internet governance models.
Mr Xi said countries had the right to choose how to develop and regulate their internet…
China has been criticised for its strict internet regulations where it blocks major sites and censors posts…
His message is that China, with 650 million internet
users, should have a say in drawing up the global rules and that they
should include the right to decide what to censor and block…
The idealistic internet pioneers - most of them
American - saw the internet as a global community without borders, a
space for free exchange of ideas untrammelled by national laws.
But whether it is China determined to shore up its
Great Firewall, the US wanting to curb communications between terror
groups, or indeed Europe debating at what age children should be allowed
online, local politicians are asserting their right to bend the
internet to their will…
Mr Xi also reiterated a call for countries to work together on internet security.
He said no country should pursue "cyber hegemony" or engage in activities that undermine others' national security…
Teaching Comparative blog entries are indexed. Use the search box to look for country names or concept labels attached to each entry.
The Comparative Government and Politics Review Checklist.
Two pages summarizing the course requirements to help you review and study for the final and for the big exam in May. . It contains a description of comparative methods, a list of commonly used theories
, a list of vital concepts, thumbnail descriptions of the AP6,
and
a description of the AP exam format
. $2.00.
Order HERE.
Just The Facts! 2nd edition is a concise guide to concepts, terminology, and examples that will appear on May's exam.
Just The Facts! is available. Order HERE.
Amazon's customers gave this book a 5-star rating.
What You Need to Know 7th edition is ready to help.
Order the book
HERE
Amazon's customers gave this book a 4-star rating.
What You Need to Know: Teaching Tools, the original version and v2.0 are available to help curriculum planning.
Labels: censorship, China, Internet, sovereignty
