Freedom of Expression
In a victory for digital rights and democracy activists in the Philippines, the Filipino Supreme Court today indefinitely extended a temporary restraining order (TRO) on a controversial cybercrime law. The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was signed into law by President…
5 February 2013
From 2004, the United States has signed onto free trade agreements with nearly half of the countries in Latin America. As a product of these agreements, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Panama and other Central American countries agreed to enact new and more restrictive copyright laws, which can place important threats on the fundamental rights of internet users across the region.
…4 February 2013
Hall of Shame: MTN Group Inductee: MTN Group Headquarters: South Africa CEO: RS Dabengwa Board Chairman: MC Ramaphosa MTN Board of Directors Corporate Info Network Size: More than 176 million people Countries of Operations: Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire,…
4 February 2013
Blackberry / Research in Motion Inductee: Blackberry, formerly Research in Motion (RIM) Headquarters: Canada CEO: Thorsten Heins and the Executive Team CORPORATE INFO Countries of Operation: Canada, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Austria, Turkey, Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore,…
1 February 2013
Inductee: Nokia Siemens Networks B.V. Headquarters: Finland CEO: Rajeev Suri Board Chairman: Jesper Ovesen Nokia Siemens Networks Board CORPORATE INFO Network Size: Sells network equipment to more than 600 operator customers, serving 2.5 billion subscribers. Countries of Operation: Corporate customers…
31 January 2013
This past week has been particularly difficult for human rights activists in Azerbaijan, the host country of the 2012 UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Last Wednesday January 23, protests over corruption erupted in Ismayilli, northwest of the Azerbaijani capital Baku,…
30 January 2013
Inductee: France Telecom S.A. Headquarters: France Corporate Governance: CEO and Board Chairman: Stéphane Richard France Telecom Board CORPORATE INFO Network Size: 226+ million people. Countries of Operation: Armenia, Belgium, Botswana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, France, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Equatorial…
30 January 2013
Inductee: Vodafone Group Plc Headquarters: UK CEO: Vittorio Colao Board Chairman:Gerard Kleisterlee Vodafone Board CORPORATE INFO Network Size: 1.5 billion people. Countries of Operation: Albania, Australia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar,…
29 January 2013
Yesterday marked the two-year anniversary of the internet and mobile network blackout designed to undermine the anti-government protests in Egypt. This event catapulted the issue of telecoms and human rights onto the international stage. To mark this anniversary, Access has sent a letter to the telecommunication sector’s Industry Dialogue on Freedom of Expression and Privacy, an industry working group that arose in the aftermath of the incident. The letter addresses the failure of the major telecoms involved to provide principled guidance to the industry and issues a statement of expectations to governments that would request restrictions on user rights.…
28 January 2013
Two years ago, amidst the protests in Tahrir Square, telcos in Egypt shut down their networks, cutting of citizens from the global internet. Since then, the telecom industry has made promises to develop rights-respecting guidelines and principles, but has failed to deliver.…
25 January 2013
New mechanisms to censor websites and filter mobile communications could come online in Pakistan, possibly within 60 days, according to government officials in the country and activists on the ground. News that the censorship system is being built directly conflicts with promises made by Pakistani government officials a little less than a year ago to not pursue massive online censorship.…
25 January 2013
We were deeply saddened to learn this weekend of the passing of Aaron Swartz: a friend, fighter, and spark of brilliance. Many of us at Access knew Aaron well–we were lucky enough to share an office with him for a chunk of time between 2011 and 2012. We’d find him there, in front of a spread of screens–in late, in early, and sometimes not at all. His unpredictable and irrepressible approach to life–and his life’s work–was one of his most defining characteristics.…
14 January 2013