Turkey approves social media law, critics say will silence dissent
4 years, 5 months ago

Turkey approves social media law, critics say will silence dissent

India Today  

Turkey adopted a new social media law on Wednesday that critics say will create a "chilling effect" on dissenting voices who have resorted to Twitter and other online platforms as the government tightened its grip on mainstream media. They must also store local users' information in Turkey, raising concerns that a state that critics say has grown more authoritarian under Erdogan will gain easy access. Turks are already heavily policed on social media and the new regulations, especially if user data is vulnerable, will have a "chilling effect", said Yaman Akdeniz, cyber rights expert and professor at Istanbul Bilgi University. ALSO READ | Turkey approves new law to take control over social media platforms Facebook, Twitter

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Turkey suddenly reinstates access to Instagram after more than a week
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Turkey suddenly reinstates access to Instagram after more than a week

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “In our talks with Instagram officials, …

Turkey suddenly reinstates access to Instagram after more than a week
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Turkey suddenly reinstates access to Instagram after more than a week

Associated Press  

ISTANBUL — Turkey reinstated access to Instagram on Saturday night, after more than a week of being blocked nationwide. “In our talks with Instagram officials, we were assured our requests would be met, especially those regarding criminal activity, and given a promise that we would work together on a means of censoring users,” Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey’s transportation and infrastructure minister …

As Instagram remains blocked in Turkey, Erdogan accuses social media companies of ‘digital fascism’
5 months ago

As Instagram remains blocked in Turkey, Erdogan accuses social media companies of ‘digital fascism’

Associated Press  

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused social media platforms of “digital fascism” on Monday for allegedly censoring photographs of Palestinian “martyrs.” The Turkish leader’s comments came as Turkish officials were engaged in discussions with representatives of the social media platform, Instagram, to reinstate access to millions of its users in Turkey. Several media reports said however, that …

Turkey blocks access to Instagram. It’s in response to removal of posts on Hamas chief, reports say
5 months, 1 week ago

Turkey blocks access to Instagram. It’s in response to removal of posts on Hamas chief, reports say

Associated Press  

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s communications authority blocked access to the social media platform Instagram on Friday, the latest instance of a clampdown on websites in the country. Uraloglu’s deputy, Omer Fatih Sayan, wrote on X: “We will do what is needed to establish a social media that respects our values, is free of disinformation, and is cleaner and more secure.” …

Australian Senate committee recommends government ban on TikTok be extended to WeChat
1 year, 5 months ago

Australian Senate committee recommends government ban on TikTok be extended to WeChat

The Hindu  

An Australian Senate committee has recommended a ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from federal government devices be extended to China's most popular social media platform, WeChat. “It tackles both the problems posed by authoritarian-headquartered social media platforms like TikTok and WeChat and Western-headquartered social media platforms being weaponised by the actions of authoritarian governments including Facebook, YouTube and …

How Russia tracks, censors and controls its citizens, and what has worsened under Vladimir Putin
1 year, 7 months ago

How Russia tracks, censors and controls its citizens, and what has worsened under Vladimir Putin

ABC  

Even when Yekaterina Maksimova can't afford to be late, the journalist and activist now avoids taking the Moscow subway, despite it often being the most efficient route. Rights advocates said Russia under President Vladimir Putin has harnessed digital technology to track, censor and control the population, building what some call a "cyber gulag" — a dark reference to the labour …

Turkey elections: Why Twitter’s decision to block content matters.
55 years ago

Turkey elections: Why Twitter’s decision to block content matters.

Slate  

Late Saturday night, when I saw the tweet from Twitter’s Global Affairs account announcing it had complied with a government request to restrict access to content in Turkey on the eve of our country’s presidential elections, I felt a deep sense of Here we go again. I’m pretty familiar with the government’s attempt to limit Twitter accounts and tweets for …

Twitter Confirms Censorship Of Content To Remain Operational During Turkey Elections
1 year, 7 months ago

Twitter Confirms Censorship Of Content To Remain Operational During Turkey Elections

ABP News  

Twitter has officially acknowledged that it implemented content restrictions in Turkey ahead of the country's recent presidential election. It stated, "In order to comply with legal procedures and ensure that Twitter remains accessible to the people of Turkey, we have taken steps to limit access to certain content within Turkey today." We were in negotiation with the Turkish Government throughout …

Turkey Election | Twitter censors content ahead of presidential election
1 year, 7 months ago

Turkey Election | Twitter censors content ahead of presidential election

The Hindu  

Twitter has confirmed that it censored content in Turkey ahead of the country’s presidential election. The verified Twitter Global Government Affairs account said, “In response to legal process and to ensure Twitter remains available to the people of Turkey, we have taken action to restrict access to some content in Turkey today.” The account said that the rest of the …

World Press Freedom Day | How free speech in India is compromised by government control over platforms: Book excerpt from ‘Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government is Holding Indians Back’ by Subhashish B
1 year, 8 months ago

World Press Freedom Day | How free speech in India is compromised by government control over platforms: Book excerpt from ‘Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government is Holding Indians Back’ by Subhashish B

The Hindu  

Published : May 03, 2023 07:00 IST - 6 MINS READ In December 2004, the Delhi Police arrested Avnish Bajaj, the CEO of Baazee.com, because someone in Kharagpur, West Bengal, tried to sell through the website video copies of two Delhi-based students having sex. Social media companies, a term left vague and expansive, need to take down content within 36 …

Turkiye Earthquake: Twitter Access Restored In Quake-Hit Nation, Musk Confirms
1 year, 11 months ago

Turkiye Earthquake: Twitter Access Restored In Quake-Hit Nation, Musk Confirms

ABP News  

Twitter access in Turkiye, which had been blocked two days after the devastating earthquake struck the country on February 6, is now said to have been restored. Internet monitoring company Netblocks on Thursday shared the information on Twitter, saying: "Metrics confirms access to Twitter is being restored in #Turkey following hours of filtering. We ask for all the authorities to …

Musk says Turkey to re-enable full Twitter access 'shortly'
1 year, 11 months ago

Musk says Turkey to re-enable full Twitter access 'shortly'

The Hindu  

Twitter Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet on Wednesday that the company had been informed by the government of Turkey that full access to the social media platform in the country will be re-enabled "shortly". The Netblocks internet observatory, which tracks connectivity across the globe, said earlier on Wednesday that Twitter access had been restricted two days after …

Caged no more? Update from Elon Musk on Twitter access in Turkey
1 year, 11 months ago

Caged no more? Update from Elon Musk on Twitter access in Turkey

Hindustan Times  

Twitter CEO Elon Musk in a tweet said Twitter has been informed by Turkey's government that access will be re-enabled shortly to the social media platform. Twitter has been restricted in Turkey, the Netblocks internet observatory earlier said, just two days after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 11,500 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria. On the …

Twitter gets restricted in earthquake-hit Turkey, Elon Musk says access will be re-enabled soon
1 year, 11 months ago

Twitter gets restricted in earthquake-hit Turkey, Elon Musk says access will be re-enabled soon

India Today  

Earlier this week, a massive earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hit both Syria and Turkey, causing entire apartment blocks to collapse, damaging hospitals, and leaving thousands injured or homeless in the two countries. "Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public come to rely on the …

Turkish competition board fines Meta Platforms $18.6 million
2 years, 2 months ago

Turkish competition board fines Meta Platforms $18.6 million

The Hindu  

Turkey's competition authority has fined Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc. 346.72 million lira for breaking competition law, it said on Wednesday. The company held a dominant position in personal social networking services and online video advertising markets and obstructed competitors by merging data collected through its core services Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the Turkish authority said in a statement. Turkey's competition …

Turkish parliament OKs disputed bill to fight disinformation
2 years, 2 months ago

Turkish parliament OKs disputed bill to fight disinformation

Associated Press  

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s parliament passed a contentious bill Thursday that amends press and social media laws with the stated aim of combatting fake news and disinformation. Amnesty International said after the vote that it was “yet another dark day for online freedom of expression and press freedom in Turkey.” “These new measures enable to further censor and silence critical …

Social media exploited to promote anti-India activities, say experts
2 years, 8 months ago

Social media exploited to promote anti-India activities, say experts

The Hindu  

The recent action taken by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry against many social media accounts on the charge of indulging in activities detrimental to India’s national and global interests is a step in the right direction, but — given the enormity of the threat — capacity building is necessary to counter such organised online campaigns, say security agencies and experts. …

How protesters in Russia and Ukraine are avoiding internet censorship — and jail
2 years, 10 months ago

How protesters in Russia and Ukraine are avoiding internet censorship — and jail

LA Times  

Police officers detain an antiwar demonstrator in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday. Twitter posted a guide to shoring up security, warning that while using its platform “in conflict zones or other high-risk areas, it’s important to be aware of how to control your account and digital information.” The company advised setting up two-factor authentication, disabling location info from showing on …

Turkey orders TV programs to protect family values
2 years, 11 months ago

Turkey orders TV programs to protect family values

Associated Press  

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s president has ordered that steps be taken against media like TV programs that are deemed contrary to Turkey’s “fundamental values.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a circular posted Saturday on the Official Gazette, said the decision aims to eliminate the harmful effects of television programs with foreign content that have been adapted in Turkey and to …

How Turkey’s largest fact-checking group tackles disinformation
3 years ago

How Turkey’s largest fact-checking group tackles disinformation

Al Jazeera  

For more than five years, Teyit has been using a variety of channels to debunk false claims in the country’s public discourse. “Sometimes you can get results in just a few seconds,” said Saklica, calling Turkey’s disinformation and misinformation problem “very big”. “Disinformation, first of all, is a major problem not just in Turkey but globally,” said Yaman Akdeniz, an …

Turkey arrests YouTubers who talk to the public about financial woes
3 years ago

Turkey arrests YouTubers who talk to the public about financial woes

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In several pre-dawn Sunday raids …

Concern mounts about possible Turkish law on media funding
3 years, 5 months ago

Concern mounts about possible Turkish law on media funding

Associated Press  

ISTANBUL — Press freedom groups expressed concern Friday about comments by Turkish officials about possible legislation to regulate foreign funding for media and the dissemination of fake news, saying it could further curtail independent journalism in Turkey. Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun said foreign media funding merits scrutiny when it comes from countries that “openly express their intentions and efforts …

India internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy
3 years, 5 months ago

India internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — It began in February with a tweet by pop star Rihanna that sparked widespread condemnation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of massive farmer protests near the capital, souring an already troubled relationship between the government and Twitter. “India’s plans for the internet appear to be like that of a closed ecosystem like China,” said Raheel …

India’s internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy
3 years, 5 months ago

India’s internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy

Al Jazeera  

Law puts digital platforms such as Twitter and Facebook under direct government oversight, but critics worry it may lead to outright censorship. ‘Closed ecosystem like China’ “India’s plans for the internet appear to be like that of a closed ecosystem like China,” said Raheel Khursheed, co-founder of Laminar Global and Twitter India’s former head of politics, policy and government. “Twitter’s …

Twitter only significant social media platform yet to follow intermediary rules
3 years, 7 months ago

Twitter only significant social media platform yet to follow intermediary rules

Op India  

Ministry sources have informed that Twitter is the only significant social media platform that is yet to abide by the Information Technology Rules, 2021. Sources within the Ministry informed, “Most of the major social media intermediaries have shared the details of their Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person and Grievance Officer with Ministry of Electronics and IT, as required by …

Grievance mechanism, speedy redressal: Govt lays down rules for social media, OTT platforms
3 years, 10 months ago

Grievance mechanism, speedy redressal: Govt lays down rules for social media, OTT platforms

India Today  

The government on Thursday released new rules to regulate social media, online streaming and digital content platforms, and warned that "double standards of social media will not be acceptable". Highlighting the misuse of social media in the country, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government wants social media platforms operating in the country to introduce a mechanism for better verification …

Turkey has a disturbing history of cracking down on press freedom – now it’s worse than ever
3 years, 10 months ago

Turkey has a disturbing history of cracking down on press freedom – now it’s worse than ever

The Independent  

It is a shocking photograph, capturing the moment when a young Turkish man named Kemal Kurkut was shot dead by security forces at a checkpoint in the eastern city of Diyarbakir on 21 March 2017. - Fotoğrafı çekenin 20 yıl hapsi istendi - Tetiği çeken polise ise beraat verildi.#DemokrasiŞöleni #KemalKurkut pic.twitter.com/X4lkkEkXdk — Bülent Mumay November 17, 2020 The case against …

Turkey imposes advertising ban on Twitter, Periscope, Pinterest
3 years, 11 months ago

Turkey imposes advertising ban on Twitter, Periscope, Pinterest

Hindustan Times  

Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority has imposed advertising bans on Twitter, Periscope and Pinterest under a new social media law, according to decisions published in the country's Official Gazette on Tuesday. The law, which critics say will muzzle dissent, requires social media companies to appoint local representatives in Turkey. Twitter, its live-streaming app Periscope, and image sharing app Pinterest …

Turkey slaps advertising ban on Twitter with new social media law
3 years, 11 months ago

Turkey slaps advertising ban on Twitter with new social media law

Al Jazeera  

Under new law, social media companies that do not appoint local representatives will face a series of penalties. Turkey has hit Twitter, Pinterest and Periscope with advertising bans after they failed to follow Facebook and appoint a local representative to take down contentious posts under a new media law published on Tuesday. Milena Buyum, Amnesty International’s Turkey campaigner, said on …

New strict social media measures enter into force in Turkey
4 years, 3 months ago

New strict social media measures enter into force in Turkey

Al Jazeera  

Legislation requires social media giants to set up offices in Turkey and includes penalties for not removing offending posts. Turkey has rolled out strict new social media restrictions that force large social media platforms to open offices in the country or face penalties. Emma Sinclair-Web, Turkey director of US-based Human Rights Watch, described the legislation as “draconian”, and called on …

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya Seeks New Guidelines for Social Media Platforms to 'Protect Free Speech'
4 years, 3 months ago

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya Seeks New Guidelines for Social Media Platforms to 'Protect Free Speech'

News 18  

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that unconstitutional guidelines should be repealed and new ones to govern social media platforms be issued, thereby protecting the fundamental right to free speech of citizens and protecting “our democracy from foreign interference”. Amid a raging debate on how social media platforms are working in a biased manner and …

It’s time for India to regulate the internet’s social media platforms
4 years, 4 months ago

It’s time for India to regulate the internet’s social media platforms

Live Mint  

This has become a pattern now. Allegations fly fast and furious, not made easier by the often hard-to-fathom behaviour of social media platforms themselves, ranging from a top executive holding an objectionable poster of “Brahminical patriarchy” or hiring known political party baiters for positions of responsibility. Social media platforms describe themselves in many ways—as technological innovators or platforms—depending on which …

Turkey tightens grip on freedom of expression with new social media law
4 years, 5 months ago

Turkey tightens grip on freedom of expression with new social media law

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Turkey approves new law to take control over social media platforms Facebook, Twitter
4 years, 5 months ago

Turkey approves new law to take control over social media platforms Facebook, Twitter

India Today  

Turkey’s parliament approved a law early Wednesday that gives authorities greater power to regulate social media despite concerns of growing censorship. The law requires major social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to keep representative offices in Turkey to deal with complaints against content on their platforms. Most alarmingly, the new legislation also would require social media providers to …

Erdogan’s push for more social media laws is another step towards silencing dissent
4 years, 5 months ago

Erdogan’s push for more social media laws is another step towards silencing dissent

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In the meantime, an Internet savvy …

Turkey’s ruling party moving to tighten grip on social media
4 years, 5 months ago

Turkey’s ruling party moving to tighten grip on social media

Associated Press  

ANKARA, Turkey — The Turkish president’s ruling party is submitting draft legislation to parliament that would enable the government to tighten its grip on social media, an official said Tuesday. The nine-article draft legislation would force social media companies with more than 1 million daily users in Turkey — such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube — to establish a formal …

Turkey: Erdogan vows social media controls over insults to family
4 years, 6 months ago

Turkey: Erdogan vows social media controls over insults to family

Al Jazeera  

Turkish leader threatens new law to regulate ‘immoral’ social media over tweets directed at daughter and son-in-law. Turkey’s president has vowed to tighten government control over social media following alleged insults directed at his daughter and son-in-law when they announced the birth of their fourth child on Twitter. Addressing his party’s provincial leaders via a conference call on Wednesday, Recep …

Turkish apex court rules the government violated freedoms by banning Wikipedia
5 years ago

Turkish apex court rules the government violated freedoms by banning Wikipedia

Firstpost  

Access to Wikipedia and all its language editions was blocked by the Turkish government. Turkey’s highest court on Thursday ruled in favour of Wikipedia, saying the Turkish government’s two-year ban on the online encyclopedia constitutes a violation of freedom of expression, the state-run news agency reported. Turkey blocked Wikipedia in April 2017, accusing it of being part of a “smear …

Turkish ISP Blocks Social Media Sites Near Syrian Border
55 years ago

Turkish ISP Blocks Social Media Sites Near Syrian Border

Wired  

NetBlocks director Alp Toker says the length of the restriction is notable. It dwarfs the country’s last major social media blockage, when Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, and Instagram were cut off for seven hours in August 2016, he says. Turkish authorities have routinely blocked access to social media in parts of the country in recent years, usually in the wake …

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