Web tools help protect human rights activists - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Now, human rights activists are looking to a new generation of Internet privacy tools to keep companies from gathering such data, hoping that it will protect dissidents like Shi. One, called Tor, scrambles information, then sends it over the Web. It hides the user's location and gets past firewalls. Those features make it popular with activists in countries like China and Iran."
Comment: This Reuters report highlights internet technology that is useful for human rights activists and missionaries operating in repressive countries.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
My Way News - Web site tracks world online censorship reports
AP reports: "Herdict users report their Web site problems anonymously - numeric Internet addresses are recorded but only general location is displayed - so people can post more freely, encouraging reports about sensitive topics [...] The site doesn't investigate reports, though, so there's no way to know for sure that an outage is related to government meddling rather than a cut cable or other problem unrelated to censorship. Although surges in reports do suggest a government role, a widespread technical glitch can also produce a similar spike."
Comment: The Herdict site is located here and looks to be a valuable tool for keeping tabs on censorship worldwide.
AP reports: "Herdict users report their Web site problems anonymously - numeric Internet addresses are recorded but only general location is displayed - so people can post more freely, encouraging reports about sensitive topics [...] The site doesn't investigate reports, though, so there's no way to know for sure that an outage is related to government meddling rather than a cut cable or other problem unrelated to censorship. Although surges in reports do suggest a government role, a widespread technical glitch can also produce a similar spike."
Comment: The Herdict site is located here and looks to be a valuable tool for keeping tabs on censorship worldwide.
Friday, June 26, 2009
My Way News - Iran: new audience for US scholar's protest guide
AP reports: "Iranian protesters wondering what to do next are being encouraged to consult a source that helped drive a decade of nonviolent revolutions in Eastern Europe: a how-to guide to toppling dictatorships written by a retired American scholar who is little known outside of activist circles. But the Iranian regime definitely knows about 81-year-old Gene Sharp. His name and references to his 1993 book have buzzed around opposition Web sites and social networks."
Comment: His book From Dictatorship to Democracy can be downloaded here in PDF form.
AP reports: "Iranian protesters wondering what to do next are being encouraged to consult a source that helped drive a decade of nonviolent revolutions in Eastern Europe: a how-to guide to toppling dictatorships written by a retired American scholar who is little known outside of activist circles. But the Iranian regime definitely knows about 81-year-old Gene Sharp. His name and references to his 1993 book have buzzed around opposition Web sites and social networks."
Comment: His book From Dictatorship to Democracy can be downloaded here in PDF form.
Friday, June 19, 2009
My Way News - Web support pours out for Iran protesters
AP reports: "Google and Facebook have rushed out services in Farsi. Twitter users have changed their home cities to Tehran to provide cover for Internet users there. Others have configured their computers to serve as relay points to bypass Iranian censorship. [...] He and other U.S. Web users set up ways for Iranians to access the Internet using Tor, a service that allows people use the Internet anonymously. Even the file-sharing site Pirate Bay, best known for its run-ins with the law over copyright infringement, has jumped in with the launch of a network that helps Iranians surf anonymously."
AP reports: "Google and Facebook have rushed out services in Farsi. Twitter users have changed their home cities to Tehran to provide cover for Internet users there. Others have configured their computers to serve as relay points to bypass Iranian censorship. [...] He and other U.S. Web users set up ways for Iranians to access the Internet using Tor, a service that allows people use the Internet anonymously. Even the file-sharing site Pirate Bay, best known for its run-ins with the law over copyright infringement, has jumped in with the launch of a network that helps Iranians surf anonymously."
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
My Way News - The Pirate Bay helps Iran critics dodge censorship
AP reports: "Popular file-sharing site The Pirate Bay said Wednesday it has helped launch an Internet network in support of Iranian election critics allowing users to dodge the regime's censorship rules by surfing anonymously [...] The Web site, iran.whyweprotest.net, says it allows 'a secure and reliable way of communication for Iranians and friends' and also directs users to an anonymity system, which can be used to hide their Internet locations."
Comment: This kind of site can also be useful for persecuted minorities in any repressive country.
AP reports: "Popular file-sharing site The Pirate Bay said Wednesday it has helped launch an Internet network in support of Iranian election critics allowing users to dodge the regime's censorship rules by surfing anonymously [...] The Web site, iran.whyweprotest.net, says it allows 'a secure and reliable way of communication for Iranians and friends' and also directs users to an anonymity system, which can be used to hide their Internet locations."
Comment: This kind of site can also be useful for persecuted minorities in any repressive country.
Monday, June 15, 2009
My Way News - Tweeting Iran: Elex news in 140 characters or less
AP reports: "Iranians must outsmart government blocking to use Twitter, on which users post messages limited to 140 characters called 'tweets.' Twitter and other social-networking sites remained blocked Monday in Iran. [...] Facebook was used to organize people before the election, but it was also blocked after the vote. On Monday, the site was replaced with a message that said the page was blocked under a filtering policy."
Comment: It is very important for Christians to make use of all of the new social networking technology to share the gospel and to familiarize missionaries with the tools of dissent that may be needed in repressive societies.
AP reports: "Iranians must outsmart government blocking to use Twitter, on which users post messages limited to 140 characters called 'tweets.' Twitter and other social-networking sites remained blocked Monday in Iran. [...] Facebook was used to organize people before the election, but it was also blocked after the vote. On Monday, the site was replaced with a message that said the page was blocked under a filtering policy."
Comment: It is very important for Christians to make use of all of the new social networking technology to share the gospel and to familiarize missionaries with the tools of dissent that may be needed in repressive societies.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My Way News - China requires PCs to come with anti-porn software
AP reports: "China is requiring personal computers sold in the country to carry software that blocks online pornography and other Web sites, potentially giving one of the world's most sophisticated censorship regimes even more control over the Internet."
AP reports: "China is requiring personal computers sold in the country to carry software that blocks online pornography and other Web sites, potentially giving one of the world's most sophisticated censorship regimes even more control over the Internet."
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Tech Clampdown On Tiananmen Anniversary - CBS News
CBS News reports: "Chinese authorities blocked popular Web sites like Twitter and Flickr on Tuesday after forcing dissidents from Beijing in a clampdown ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests."
CBS News reports: "Chinese authorities blocked popular Web sites like Twitter and Flickr on Tuesday after forcing dissidents from Beijing in a clampdown ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests."
Friday, May 01, 2009
Cyberwar - Iranians and Others Outwit Net Censors - Series - NYTimes.com
The New York Times reports: "The Internet is no longer just an essential channel for commerce, entertainment and information. It has also become a stage for state control — and rebellion against it. Computers are becoming more crucial in global conflicts, not only in spying and military action, but also in determining what information reaches people around the globe."
Comment: This report describes both the methods used by governments to control access to information and the software tools used by activists to circumvent them. Missionaries operating in repressive countries would do well to look into the following:
The New York Times reports: "The Internet is no longer just an essential channel for commerce, entertainment and information. It has also become a stage for state control — and rebellion against it. Computers are becoming more crucial in global conflicts, not only in spying and military action, but also in determining what information reaches people around the globe."
Comment: This report describes both the methods used by governments to control access to information and the software tools used by activists to circumvent them. Missionaries operating in repressive countries would do well to look into the following:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)