My Way News - Outwardly Open, China Keeps Censoring
AP reports: "In the midst of a sensitive political season, China's machinery of state control is gearing up to make sure that nothing goes astray, including people's thinking."

China leading crackdown on Internet: media watchdog - Yahoo News
AFP reports, "Backed by 'armies' of cyber-police, China is spearheading an increasingly sophisticated movement by repressive regimes to restrict the Internet, a global media watchdog said in its annual report.[...] China remains the most powerful force in controlling the Internet not just through technology, but through old-fashioned manpower and depth of resources, according to the watchdog."

My Way News - Egyptian Blogger Gets 4 Years in Prison
AP reports: "An Egyptian blogger was convicted Thursday and sentenced to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egypt's president, sending a chill through fellow Internet writers who fear a government crackdown."

Techdirt: German Court Says Police Cannot Put Spyware On Someone's Computer
Teckdirt reports: "As various legal systems grapple with new, technology-related issue, it appears that a German court has come down firmly against the idea of allowing police to use remote spying techniques to record what a suspect does on his or her computer."

Here is yet another optimistic report on the potential for the Internet to aid those living and working in oppressive regimes (TechDirt - Can A Wiki Force Transparency On Oppressive Regimes?):

In 1971, when Pentagon employee Daniel Ellsberg leaked classified documents to The New York Times detailing US aggression during the Vietnam War, he had to find a way to quietly photocopy thousands of pages. Today, he could just put everything up on a wiki. A new site called Wikileaks is offering a way for dissident government employees working under oppressive regimes to anonymously leak information on their government's behavior. The site, which is backed by proponents of ethical leaking, is chiefly targeting countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Use a wiki, by all means, use all the tools that the Internet provides, but also understand that repressive governments will do everything in their power to turn this technology back on the user.

My Way News - China: Web Censorship Report Groundless
AP reports: "China was one of 13 countries singled out by Reporters Without Borders in a 24-hour online protest Wednesday against Internet censorship. The others were: Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam." Interesting how most of these countries also actively persecute believers.

Freedom and the Internet
Amnesty International is asking bloggers to show their support for the plight of fellow bloggers jailed for what they wrote in their online journals. The organization says freedom of expression and privacy "are under threat from governments that want to control what their citizens say, and what information they can access."

What Are DigiTracts?
DigiTracts are presentations of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Each presentation includes music, animation and biblically sound content. You can view the DigiTracts online, download them to your computer or embed them in your own webpages to share with visitors.

WaPo - Cyber-Savvy Pastors Blog When the Spirit Moves Them
The Washington Post reports on how some churches and pastors are using the latest internet technology to share the gospel (Matthew 24:14):

Reaching out to younger generations has long been one of the major challenges for ministers, but hundreds think they have found an answer in blogging. A growing number are taking the Gospel to the Web hoping to get people thinking daily about faith. Many pastors say blogging has become an increasingly integral part of their ministry as they attempt to reverse the decline in church attendance by people in their twenties and thirties.

I think this is a great idea and I think all churches should have official blogs and all Christian writers should be encouraged to start blogs and share their faith on the internet.

Godcasting
USA Today reports ('Godcasting:' Love that new-time religion) on churches using the latest technology, including HD broadcasting and podcasting, to share the gospel. With the internet, the world is your pulpit.

InformationWeek - Five Ways To Keep Your Google Searches Private
IWeek reports, "Word that the government has been seeking search data from Google has struck fear into the hearts of Internet Explorer and Firefox users. Here are five simple steps to keep outsiders from uncovering private information about your Web browsing habits."

Google's Dangerous Kowtow to China
Google won liberty points last week for fighting a federal subpeana to turn over massive amounts of search data to the U.S. government. They earn demerits this week for agreeing to censor their search engine to satisfy Beijing's desire for social and political control (BBC - Google move 'black day' for China). What happened to Google's "do no evil" motto?

Bloggers Fight Repression
Some time ago I linked to a news report about a guide published to help bloggers avoid the tactics used by repressive governments to control the Internet. The guide contains information that would be useful to human rights activists and missionaries operating in China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and other countries that limit free expression. There is a chance that the news report may be outdated and the link may have expired, but the guide itself can be found here in PDF.

Using Mobile Devices
The Web Evangelism Newsletter had a report about using mobile devices to share the gospel:

Although mobile devices have been with us for some years, till now there have not been too many avenues to use the medium for evangelism. With the
new 3G devices, things may change. At last it is practical to download, and pass to friends, video and cartoon clips. There is great potential for short specially-made downloads of this type, and Christians are discussing the best way to utilize this medium. They recommend ATS Tracts as one of several groups developing material in this area. Finally, check out the Gospelcom guide to mobile tech.

Now that the enemy is preparing to send porn to mobile devices, I think it's only fair to counter with the Gospel.

Guardian Unlimited - State Dept. Cites Saudi Arabia on Rights
The Guardian Unlimited reports on the release of the annual U.S. State Department report on religious freedom:

The State Department cited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for denying religious freedom to non-Muslims and found fault to a lesser degree with other allies including Israel, Belgium, France, Germany and Pakistan...Burma was accused of severe violations of religious freedom. China was faulted for showing insufficient respect for freedom of religion, Cuba for controlling and monitoring religious activities, and North Korea for not permitting religious freedom at all. Listed as hostile toward minority or nonapproved religions were Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as well as Saudi Arabia. The State Department said that in Iran, Sunni Muslims, Bahais, Jews and Christians reported imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination based on religious belief. Burma was accused of severe violations of religious freedom. China was faulted for showing insufficient respect for freedom of religion, Cuba for controlling and monitoring religious activities, and North Korea for not permitting religious freedom at all. Listed as hostile toward minority or nonapproved religions were Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as well as Saudi Arabia. The State Department said that in Iran, Sunni Muslims, Bahais, Jews and Christians reported imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination based on religious belief.

Let's agree to pray for the persecuted church in these countries, that they will persevere and continue to shine the light of hope amid dark oppression.

IFC - The Aftermath of GodBlogCon
Internet For Christians (IFC) Andy Rau gives a post-conference report for all of us who missed it:

October 28, 2005 -- GodBlogCon is over, but even if you didn't attend, you can benefit from the conference, as the media reports on it and as attendees blog about their experiences. An article at Wired provides a good basic overview of the conference's goals and highlights. If you want more specific details on the conference, the GodBlogCon blog is the place to check--it's got links to the many bloggers who attended and blogged their impressions, experiences, and opinions. In particular, this post provides a comprehensive look at reactions from all over the internet. Thanks to the conference and its blogging attendees for sharing their conference experiences online for everyone who couldn't make it this year!

Wow, I wish I could have gone. I didn't even hear about it until after it was underway...maybe next year.

Miami Herald - 'Left Behind' screened in 3,200 churches
The latest installment in the film version of the blockbuster Left Behind books (and blog inspiration) is being screened in churches and will soon be available to consumers.

Yahoo News - 'God Bloggers' Head to National Conference
Christians are finding news ways to share the Good News: blogging. Yes, using blogs (just like this one) Christians have found yet another tool to present the message of salvation. This AP news report talks about the first national conference for "God bloggers" being held now at Biola University. More information on the conference can be found on the official "GodBlogCon 2005" website.

My Way News - China Wants Only 'Healthy' News on Web

"China said Sunday it is imposing new regulations to control content on its news Web sites and will allow the posting of only 'healthy and civilized' news...Online dissidents who post items critical of the government, or those expressing opinions in chatrooms, are regularly arrested and charged under vaguely worded state security laws."

Evading the Censors
Suppose you are a missionary or human rights worker operating in a repressive country, how would you go about evading Internet censorship? The Reporters Without Borders group has the answer (Yahoo News - Guide Aims to Help Bloggers Beat Censors):

A Paris-based media watchdog has released a free guide with tips for bloggers and dissidents to sneak past Internet censors in countries from China to Iran. Reporters Without Borders' "Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents" is partly financed by the French Foreign Ministry and includes technical advice on how to remain anonymous online. It was launched at the Apple Expo computer show in Paris on Thursday and can be downloaded in Chinese, Arabic, Persian, English and French.

Let's hope this guide offers timely assistance to those shining the light of freedom (both spiritual and political) in the world's darkest places.