censorship
If you’ve been to Florence, there’s a good chance you’ve wandered the hallowed halls of the Accademia Gallery in search of the city’s most famous inhabitant: Michelangelo’s David. Along with thousands of other visitors, you may have picked up a magnet to commemorate the encounter with this nude sculptural icon, completed in 1504. But this time-honoured, cheeky souvenir may be at risk of disappearing – curators are taking aim at the less-than-reverent magnets and souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on David’s genitalia, raising questions about freedom of expression. This is not the first ti...
Euronews (English)
When you think of 74-year-old British gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, who helms the wholesome ITV gardening show Love Your Garden, censorship is probably not the first word that springs to mind. Still, that hasn’t deterred North Korea’s state television Central TV, which has censored a 2010 episode of the BBC gardening programme Alan Titchmarsh's Garden Secrets (which does sound a bit filthy, come to think of it). The reason? His jeans. They blurred out presenter Titchmarsh's trousers, as jeans are seen as a symbol of western imperialism in the secretive state - and are therefore ban...
Euronews (English)
Image by Arzu Geybullayeva On March 31, millions of Turks head to the polls to elect district mayors, metropolitan municipality mayors, provincial assemblies, and neighborhood and village representatives in local elections. The results of the race, especially in the country's biggest cities where the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is trying to win back the seats it lost in 2019, will shape Turkey's future, including economy, governance, and international position. Although not racing himself, President Erdoğan has been at the forefront of his party's election campaign trail. As poi...
Global Voices
Illustration by Daniyar Mussirov. Used with permission. This article was written by Almas Kaisar and Nazerke Kurmangazinova for Vlast.kz. An edited version is published on Global Voices under a media partnership agreement. Ethnic Karakalpaks living in Kazakhstan have become the target of detentions and pressure after the July 2022 protests in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan’s northeast. Uzbekistan’s government demanded that activists detained in Kazakhstan be extradited, after accusing them of “calling for mass riots” and “attacks against the constit...
Global Voices
Image by Arzu Geybullayeva Complicity in perpetuating authoritarian rule has many faces. Undemocratic governance is propped up by politicians and big businesses as well as a complacent media ecosystem and an electorate who are wholeheartedly drawn to authoritarian policies. In the case of Turkey all of the above apply. This has paved the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to transform Turkey into an illiberal dystopia. From Freedom House classifications to in-depth analyses, one can say with relative clarity that Turkey has done away with any pretense of upholding democratic governance. Bu...
Global Voices
“No sex please, we’re British.” A phrase that should be familiar to anyone who has seen the London West End show or the 1973 British comedy of the same name starring Ronnie Corbett. And if you’re not acquainted with this outdated farce, you may be au fait with the reputation the UK has for being a traditionally chaste nation compared to its less pearl-clutchy European neighbours. While somewhat outworn, the UK is living up to its reputation, which is coming back in full force via the BBFC (the British Board of Film Classification). You see, the BBFC – which is responsible for the national clas...
Euronews (English)
Image by Arzu Geybullayeva March 12 marks the World Day Against Cyber Censorship, a day to champion the free and open internet, as designated by Reporters Without Borders in 2008. The day draws attention to the digital repression across the globe, especially in countries where governments silence and censor freedom of expression online. Often, in such environments, the repression does not just end with online censorship but is combined with offline persecution. Azerbaijan is one of many countries where these measures are prevalent. Since November, the state has targeted several online media pl...
Global Voices
The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that would force TikTok’s owner to sever ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a ban there. US President Joe Biden says he will sign it into law if senators approve it, amid concerns about Beijing’s influence over the hugely popular app and its access to data on American users. China – which bans TikTok and most western social media platforms domestically – said on Thursday that it “will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” in light of the US legislative moves. The app is o...
Hong Kong Free Press
Youth activists stage a flash mob in protest against the continuing junta rule. Photo from Yangon Revolution Force, used with permission. The past decade saw the rise of varying shades of undemocratic regimes in Southeast Asia, reflected in the 2014 coup in Thailand, the election of Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 in the Philippines, and the return of military dictatorship in 2021 in Myanmar. On the other hand, the intensified repression was countered by people’s resistance energized by young activists who combined online and offline tactics to push back against tyranny and digital authoritarianism. I...
Global Voices
This story is part of Undertones, Global Voices’ Civic Media Observatory‘s newsletter. Subscribe to Undertones. Welcome back to Undertones, where we study narratives from around the world. Since the end of 2023, the Civic Media Observatory has started a new project focusing on data governance. But we still have some important stories from our Community Observatory to share. One of them comes from our researcher from Gaza, who's now living abroad but has helped us make sense of the conflict since it started. In December, we published an analysis of critical narratives coming from Israel. This t...
Global Voices
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