Category: Censorship

Autocrats’ attacks a tribute to independent media’s power

     

The ultimate, most severe threats to a free press come from governments, which, to justify their actions, have seized opportunistically on causes ranging from requiring platforms to moderate posts to… Read more »

COVID-19’s new pretexts for consolidating autocrats’ power

     

Authoritarian-minded leaders around the world have used the coronavirus emergency to consolidate power. In Europe, the governments of Poland and Hungary have done that and more. They have managed to… Read more »

‘Firm Up Democracy’s Soft Underbelly’: Autocrats winning war of ideas

     

The authoritarian resurgence will remain a major global risk in 2020 due to the many economic and social consequences of autocratic governance, according to Global Risk Intelligence. While some exceptions… Read more »

Magnitsky sanctions will protect free media, says report

     

Officials and prosecutors who arbitrarily detain journalists or impose blanket restrictions on free expression should be subject to a new regime of targeted international sanctions, according to a panel report… Read more »

Mexico: criminal defamation threatens free expression

     

The conviction of a prominent Mexican journalist sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression, writes Enrique Bravo-Escobar, Ph.D., Senior Program Officer for Latin America & the Caribbean at the… Read more »

‘Demand for Deceit’: What drives disinformation

     

Russian operatives and other foreign actors are deliberately targeting U.S. troops and veterans with online disinformation amplified on a massive scale, according to a leading veterans group,  The Washington Post… Read more »

‘Trojan horse for tyranny’: Disinformation boosting digital authoritarianism

     

Digital platforms have emerged as the “new battleground” for democracy, with disinformation the most commonly used tactic to undermine elections, according to a leading watchdog. “Populists and far-right leaders have… Read more »