internet blackouts

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A photojournalist works in a Caracas hotel room during the third day of a massive power outage. Alongside power cuts, journalists must navigate internet blackouts as Nicolás Maduro's government attempts to silence the news. (AFP/Juan Barreto)

Internet blackouts in Venezuela, and fighting for justice in the Maldives

John Otis, CPJ’s Andes correspondent, reports on Venezuela’s internet blackout and the impact it has had on Venezuelans’ ability to access news and information. Three journalists have been killed in the last week, in Afghanistan, Honduras, and Mexico. CPJ Asia Program Research Associate Aliya Iftikhar recently returned from a reporting mission to the Maldives, where…

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Polling station staff empty a ballot box after polls closed during the general election, in Lahore, Pakistan, on February 8, 2024.

CPJ condemns phone and internet disruptions, barring of journalists during Pakistan election

New York, February 8, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the cell phone service suspension and widespread internet disruptions as Pakistan went to the polls on Thursday, with reports of journalists prevented from coverage in some areas. “Cutting off mobile communication services on an election day and preventing journalists from reporting from polling stations severely…

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Cuba passes regulations criminalizing online content, further restricting internet access

Miami, August 19, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the enactment of new telecommunications regulations in Cuba that will further censor information on the island, and called for their immediate repeal. On August 17, the Cuban government enacted new regulations that criminalize the sharing of “false” and “offensive” information online, and grant…

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Pegasus spyware revelations are ‘a wake-up call for security on the internet’

Following recent revelations that journalists around the world were potential targets of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, the chief executive of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, spoke to CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “This should be a wake-up call for security on the internet,” Cathcart said. This week CPJ also joined more than 150 human rights groups and…

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Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido attend a rally in Caracas on May 1, 2019. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Venezuelan authorities restrict internet, block outlets amid unrest

Miami, May 1, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Venezuelan authorities to refrain from restricting access to the internet, social media services, and news outlets in the country during widespread protests and political unrest.

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A photojournalist works in a Caracas hotel room during the third day of a massive power outage. Alongside power cuts, journalists must navigate internet blackouts imposed as Nicolás Maduro's government attempts to silence news of the opposition. (AFP/Juan Barreto)

Maduro’s internet blackout stifles news of Venezuela crisis

One of the world’s biggest news stories on March 4 was the daring return to Venezuela of opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaidó, who faced possible arrest by the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro. But most Venezuelans were unable to follow his homecoming.

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Late voters check a list in a school in Kinshasa on December 30, during Democratic Republic of Congo's general elections. Authorities have cut internet access and blocked the signals to at least two news broadcasters while the results are counted. (AFP/Luis Tato)

DRC authorities cut internet and broadcast signals after election

New York, January 3, 2019–Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should immediately take steps to ensure citizens have access to the internet and news outlets as the country awaits the results of its election, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The government has cut access to internet and SMS services, blocked the signals…

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Commuters in Mumbai use their mobile phones as they wait at a bus stop with a telecom advertisement on July 10. The majority of India's internet users connect via their mobile devices. India recently adopted a rule that allows the government to temporarily shut down internet and telecommunications services in the event of an emergency. (Reuters/Shailesh Andrade)

India issues sweeping rule on internet shut-offs

New Delhi, August 31, 2017–Indian authorities should stop arbitrarily blocking the internet, and refrain from issuing regulations that give legal backing to frequent internet shutdowns in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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An image grab from a YouTube video uploaded on December 18 allegedly shows NBC employees, from left to right, Aziz Akyavas, Richard Engel, and John Kooistra in captivity in Syria. (AFP/YouTube)

Do news blackouts help journalists held captive?

At any given time over the past two years, as wars raged in Libya and then Syria, and as other conflicts ground on in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, a number of journalists have been held captive by a diverse array of forces, from militants and rebels to criminals and paramilitaries. And at any given…

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One month after the start of the Israel-Gaza war, 39 journalists and media workers killed

One month after the start of the Israel-Gaza war, CPJ’s research showed at least 39 journalists and media workers have been killed, in what is now the deadliest month for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992. As the conflict continues, journalists are facing increased hostilities, including 13 arrests, as well as numerous assaults,…

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