As authorities hit citizens with more violence, the social network is proving key to documenting abuses. If it breaks, a human rights lifeline may disappear.
censorship
The Challenge of Cracking Iran’s Internet Blockade
People around the world are rallying to subvert Iran’s internet shutdown, but actually pulling it off is proving difficult and risky.
Child Predators Mine Twitch to Prey on Kids
Plus: A leaked trove illuminates Russia’s internet regulator, a report finds Facebook and Instagram violated Palestinian rights, and more.
Iran’s Internet Shutdown Hides a Deadly Crackdown
Amid protests against the killing of Mahsa Amini, authorities have cut off mobile internet, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The death toll continues to rise.
This Clever Anti-Censorship Tool Lets Russians Read Blocked News
Samizdat Online syndicates banned news sites by hosting them on uncensored domains—allowing people to access independent reporting.
Russia Is Quietly Ramping Up Its Internet Censorship Machine
Since Vladimir Putin blocked Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in March, Russia has been pushing away from the global internet at a rapid pace.
Instagram Slow to Tackle Bots Targeting Iranian Women’s Groups
Despite alerting Meta months ago, feminist groups say tens of thousands of fake accounts continue to bombard them on the platform.
Russia Is Taking Over Ukraine’s Internet
In occupied Ukraine, people’s internet is being routed to Russia—and subjected to its powerful censorship and surveillance machine.
Disinfo and Hate Speech Flood TikTok Ahead of Kenya’s Elections
Mozilla researchers identified accounts with millions of view spreading hate speech and disinformation