Journalists’ profiles must be restored on LinkedIn’s China site, CPJ says
Washington, D.C., October 6, 2021 — LinkedIn should immediately restore journalists’ blocked profiles in China, be transparent about the process that leads to profile takedowns, and ensure that the company does not facilitate the global export of Chinese censorship of reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. LinkedIn blocked the profiles of several U.S….
Kyrgyzstan parliament approves ‘false information’ bill
Stockholm, August 10, 2021 – Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov should reject legislation approved by parliament that imperils press freedom in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 28, the Jogorku Kengesh, the country’s parliament, approved the bill “On Protection from Inaccurate (False) Information” by a vote of 97 to 5, according…
CPJ joins call urging Zambia to maintain internet access during elections
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 41 other human rights, free expression, and technology organizations in a letter to Zambian President Edgar Lungu, calling on him to ensure that the internet and digital communications remain uninterrupted throughout Zambia’s August 12 general election period. In the letter, dated August 5, members of the #KeepItOn coalition against…
UK online safety bill raises censorship concerns and questions on future of encryption
The U.K. government emphasized press freedom this month when it published the draft online safety bill for social media companies, pledging that the bill would protect both “citizen journalism” and “recognized news publishers” from censorship. Vocal segments of the media not only welcomed the legislation, but actively campaigned for it. When Oliver Dowden, secretary of…
Brazilian media outlet that covers women’s rights targeted with DDoS attack
Between March 26 and April 2, 2021, unidentified internet users orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Portal Catarinas, an online media outlet specializing in gender, feminism, and human rights, according to Paula Guimarães, the portal’s executive director and a report by the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI). The attacks flooded the site with traffic…
Staff of Cuban press freedom group ICLEP lose internet service, fear targeted disruption
Miami, March 4, 2021 — Cuban authorities must ensure that journalists and staff at the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP) are able to access the internet, and should allow its journalists to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since February 24, dozens of employees of ICLEP, a…
CPJ joins call for Uganda to maintain internet access during election
The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 54 other organizations in a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni calling on him to ensure open and unrestricted internet access during and after the country’s presidential election, scheduled for January 14. The letter notes that disruptions to internet access would undermine journalists’ ability to report on the…
Section 230 reform could have unintended consequences for the press
Twitter’s permanent suspension of President Donald Trump’s account is reinvigorating debate about the law that protects social media platforms – specifically, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The statute shields tech companies and news websites from liability for making decisions about what people can say on their platforms, whether they take it down, or…
Russia moves to curb internet following investigative reports on Navalny poisoning
Vilnius, Lithuania, December 22, 2020—Russian authorities have advanced measures to punish online libel, police the internet, and protect officials’ personal data since December 14, when international news websites published reports investigating the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to human rights news website Mediazona and a media lawyer interviewed by CPJ. The joint investigation by…
Cuban authorities harass journalists, block social media amid protests
Miami, November 30, 2020 – Cuban authorities should stop harassing journalists and allow all citizens to access the internet without restriction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since November 26, amid protests following the arrest of artist Denis Solís of the San Isidro Movement, a local freedom of expression and artistic freedom group, Cuban…