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Five Attacks in the Last Year That Shook Kabul to Its Core · Global Voices
Ezzatullah Mehrdad

A damaged building in the center of Kabul after it was struck by an ambulance packed with explosives. Photo courtesy of Fatima Faramarz. Published with permission.
As deportations of Afghan asylum seekers from the West continue apace, the country's capital Kabul is fast turning into a death trap.
In January alone, close to 150 people died in attacks in the city attributed to either the Taliban or local groups affiliated with ISIS.
The hashtags #KabulBleeds and #Afghanistanisnotsafe have become regular sights on social media timelines. Nevertheless, nothing has moved governments in Europe to soften their positions on the desperate refugees seeking a way out.
Global Voices decided to look at just five of the deadliest attacks to strike the Afghan capital during the last year, as well as the reactions of residents of the city.
The new year has brought little cheer to Kabul, a city of 3 million. On January 27, an ambulance bomb blew up in a crowded location in the city centre, killing at least 103 people, and leaving 235 others wounded.
The Taliban group claimed responsibility for the assault on civilians. It is not known how the group commandeered the explosives-packed ambulance.
Following the attack, journalists began counting the dead and tweeting.
How badly is Afghanistan bleeding?
Over the past year, about 10,000 security forces killed, more than 16,000 wounded. Taliban losses estimated to be about same, if not more.
An average of about 10 civilians killed every day (UN data, 9 months of 2017)https://t.co/DcTDVtro8z
— Mujib Mashal (@MujMash) January 27, 2018
In one week, Taliban and ISIS in Afghanistan have attacked an intl NGO working for children, a civilian hotel and 60+ civilians in Kabul without a govt/military target in sight. Is there a goal here beyond spreading chaos and creating headlines?
— Sune Engel Rasmussen (@SuneEngel) January 27, 2018
The bombing was the second major attack targeting civilians in the city since the new year.
Some Kabul residents have resorted to keeping a short note on their person with essential information in order to help identify their body in the event of a blast.
An attack, they reason, could happen anytime, anywhere.
We are human!
Not Numbers!#KabulBleeds #KabulBlast #afghanistanisnotsafe
— hamide (@twitt_hamide) January 29, 2018
On January 20, gunmen broke through the security barriers of the luxury Intercontinental Hotel and sprayed bullets at guests and staff.
Survivor accounts testify that attackers went through as many rooms in the building as possible to maximise the kill count.
The fact that 15 of the victims were foreign guests guaranteed intensified coverage from Western media.
In total the Taliban-claimed assault killed at least 40 people.
The firefight between the gunmen and security forces lasted half a day and shocked Kabulis living in and near one of the city's most prestigious neighbourhoods.
How can one nation suffer so much, how can killing never stop, and how can the ones killing us never get tired #KabulAttack #Afghanistanburning
— Lima Ahmad (@Limaahmad) January 27, 2018
Among the foreigners killed were employees of airline Kam Air, Afghanistan's most important domestic airline.
The airline mourned its employees during a ceremony at Hamid Karzai International Airport — the same destination Afghan refugees arrive at when sent home from Europe.
Heart wrenching.
Kabul bleeds again.
A picture telling a thousand stories.#KabulBleeds#StopAfghanGenocide pic.twitter.com/PaHj877unp
— Ishtiaq Khan (@ishtiaq3028) January 27, 2018
In October 2017, a suicide bomber blew himself up close to a Shia mosque in the western part of Kabul. The suicide bombing killed 56 people and hurt 55 others.
2. in a week. Our hearts are bleeding. #AFGHANISTANISBLEEDING
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) October 21, 2017
That was less than two months after a group of gunmen claimed at least 30 lives during a raid on a Shia mosque in the northern part of the capital and wounded 80 others.
Although it is not known to what extent ISIS organised the attacks, it claimed responsibility for both assaults. The radical group that adheres to Sunni Islam is famous for its hatred of Shia Muslims.
Ethnic Hazara, who are overwhelmingly Shia, are a group that is particularly vulnerable to attacks due to the deeply sectarian beliefs of both ISIS and the Taliban.
In the most brutal attack of 2016, two suicide bombers ripped through crowds during a peaceful Hazara rally for greater political voice in July 2016. The attack claimed the lives of 85 protestors and injured about 300 others.
ISIS claimed that atrocity, too.
On May 31, 2017, a truck packed with explosives killed 150 people and wounded about 400. It was the most deadly single attack in Afghanistan since US-led forces toppled the Taliban in 2001.
The attack occurred on a traffic-packed street during the morning rush hour. In the “Green Zone” where the U.S. embassy, the local office of NATO and the Presidential palace are all located.
Let #Afghanistan heal! Fighting each other and losing precious lives is what the enemy wants! Come to your senses #Kabul. pic.twitter.com/ZiS0BKNzMp
— Omaid Sharifi (@OmaidSharifi) June 2, 2017
No group claimed responsibly for the attack. But the Afghan government blamed the Haqqani Network, a Taliban faction that mainly operates from out of Pakistan.
On March 8, 2017, gunmen dressed as medics stormed the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan militarily hospital, claiming 49 lives and wounding scores.
Another shameless attack at #MilitaryHospital in #kabul #Afghanistan. https://t.co/6uLGfIYXVv
— Razia Hussainy (@RaziaHussainy) March 8, 2017
The Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan militarily hospital that mainly treats wounded members of the armed forces is the best-equipped hospital in the city.
First, a suicide bomber self-detonated at the gate of the hospital. Then, three armed men combed the 400-bed complex shooting nurses, doctors, and patients. The ensuing firefight between the assailants and Afghan special forces lasted several hours.
Mourning loss of the medics and patients in today's hospital attack. Never felt this sad. Wake up NUG! #MilitaryHospital attack #kabul. pic.twitter.com/VVUpK1vKmy
— Zarlasht A (@DocZarlasht) March 8, 2017


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As the World Celebrates Bob Marley Day, Reggae is Changing and So Are Its Fans · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

A mural of reggae icon Bob Marley; photo by Vanessa, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Reggae icon Bob (Robert Nesta) Marley was born on February 6, 1945; his birthday is now celebrated around the world as Bob Marley Day. This year, he would have turned 73 years old. Marley's hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, is now recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Music.
As the anointed birthplace of reggae music, music-lovers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to the Bob Marley Museum in uptown Kingston, the site of Marley's former home. Visitors also head downtown to tour Tuff Gong Studios, founded by Marley in 1965, and the “Culture Yard” in Trench Town, where Marley grew up, learned to play guitar and formed his band, the Wailers.
Bob Marley remains an enduring icon and legacy in Jamaica, but as musical tastes and trends change, some Jamaicans wonder if the spirit of traditional roots reggae may be fading.
Reggae Month, first announced by the Jamaican government in 2008, is currently underway in Jamaica.
While passing by Marley's former home, a fan tweeted a photo of the festivities celebrating Bob Marley Day:
Outside #BobMarleyMuseum #BigDance #HappyBirthdayBobMarley pic.twitter.com/pQmxDA95Ig
— Yaneek N. Page (@yaneekpage) February 6, 2018
The museum itself shared a live stream:
Happening Now! Tune into our Live Feed at https://t.co/l7Reeihd8w
?
We are celebrating Bob Marley’s Earthstrong Celebration: #SoulRebel73 here at the @bobmarleymuseum
☝?❤#SoulRebel73#SoulRebel?#BobMarleyMuseum pic.twitter.com/6vncx7esNO
— Bob Marley Museum (@bobmarleymuseum) February 6, 2018
The veteran British reggae band UB40 posted their congratulations:
Happy Birthday @bobmarley !
Big Love
UB40 #BobMarley #HappyBirthday #73rd #SoulRebel73 #Exodus40 #UB40 #Reggae #Music #Legend pic.twitter.com/nWhNBKGkgY
— UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) February 6, 2018
Jamaican public and private institutions posted creative tweets, Marley quotes and of course, music:
“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?” -Bob Marley#bobmarleyday #BobMarleyquotes #HappyBirthday pic.twitter.com/J9Zfubzz35
— NCB Foundation (@NCBFoundation) February 6, 2018
AK Dixon, a Jamaican living in Toronto, Canada, where Bob Marley Day is annually celebrated, urged Jamaica to step up its game:
Today should have been a National Holiday…. #BobMarleyDay
— AK Dixon (@Aujae_Dixon) February 6, 2018
The American rapper Common added his birthday wishes on Twitter, acknowledging what he learned from Marley:
Happy Born Day Bob Marley! Thank you for showing me how to use my art to help the people. #OneLove pic.twitter.com/qpRyIthOtw
— COMMON (@common) February 6, 2018
From Los Angeles, California, Twitter user Isaac Bryan reminded us of Marley's activism:
On the born day of Bob Marley we are reminded-
“Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight.”#BlackHistoryMonth ?? pic.twitter.com/NRWgYhA7aT
— Isaac Bryan (@ib2_real) February 6, 2018
To mark the day, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley tweeted a charming childhood photograph of himself with his father:
Long Live The Gong!!! pic.twitter.com/66DGHSAqir
— Damian Marley (@damianmarley) February 6, 2018
While Bob Marley Day sparked celebratory social media posts from the Jamaican diaspora as well as non-Jamaican individuals and organisations, young Jamaicans were relatively quiet online.
Winston Barnes, a Florida-based Jamaican who hosts a radio talk show for the diaspora, bemoaned a perceived declining interest in reggae music, blaming the embrace of Western music styles such as hip hop:
I am now convinced that Marley's work was in vain. At least for Jamaicans. We know so little about what he did, as evidenced by our disrespect for his work and by extension our culture. Jamaica has many more radio stations than ever and cumulatively, they play less Jamaican music than before. This at a time when Jamaicans create and produce virtually every genre of music! What would we say to Bob if he was among us physically? I listened to a motivational feature on Jamaican radio last evening and virtually all the inserts originated from outside of Jamaica! In 2018?
Foreigners respect and regard Marley's music, at least publicly more than we ever have even in 2018! I am now convinced that maybe it is too late to fix this problem we face as a country and as a culture…and then we turn around and talk rubbish about the Grammies and Reggae!
Barnes refers to complaints by Jamaicans that the Grammy Awards do not give enough credit to reggae music, since the award is not televised.
Stephen Cooper agreed:
It’s very unfortunate. Despite the fact that many reggae artists insist they don’t really care about the Grammys—in part because they know it’s a scam—the Grammys are one of the few places where reggae is recognized on the international stage. And, it clearly boosts record sales.
— Stephen Cooper (@SteveCooperEsq) February 3, 2018
Many Jamaicans felt Chronixx, a young, up-and-coming reggae artist, should have won the Grammy instead of granting it to Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Of all the members of the Marley family, only a few live in Jamaica, while others occasionally visit. However, other social media users applauded Jr. Gong's “Stony Hill” album as a quality contender:
Deep down we all wanted the yute from del la Vega get it…but the Grammy kids gave it to the dread from stonyhill…welldone
— The Reggaeologist (@spielgist) January 29, 2018
Dr. Sonijah Stanley Niaah, of the Institute of Caribbean Studies and Reggae Studies Unit at the University of the West Indies, explained the ‘Marley factor’:
Jamaica is this cool place on the world map that is hardly visible, but everyone knows of the little rock because of its musical legacy. When it comes to the Grammys, Jamaica is always present. In the 2018 staging it was Shaggy's on-stage performance that ensured Jamaica's presence at the live Grammy show, and when he uttered “I'm a Jamaican in New York”…the crowd response peaked.
However, it wasn't Shaggy's performance which caused all the backstage rumbling that kept Jamaicans awash with emotion. It was Jr Gong [Damian Marley], and, more specifically, the ‘Marley factor.’
…This abundance of presence at the Grammys on the part of the Marleys has concerned Jamaicans in particular, and thus each year upon the release of the nominees for the ‘Best Reggae Album’ category, there is the inevitable combination of glee, grief, concern, and trepidation.
…Chronixx was leading in the court of public opinion ahead of all the other nominees and in particular, the only one close to him was Morgan Heritage, who were nominated for their Avrakedabra album, in the poll conducted by the Recording Academy. Unfortunately, the award is not granted on the basis of public opinion, sales figures, or even musical appeal…
To date, Ziggy Marley has won a total of seven Grammys. Stephen and Damian Marley as well as Bunny Wailer (a Marley connection), won three each.
Despite this — or perhaps because of it — a Kingston-based blogger believed the Rastafarian spirit and energy of reggae music could be losing its power:
It was through music that slaves communicated, the drums warned other slaves and motivated them toward rebellion and change. Reggae music with its origin in Jamaica was one of the most effective tools in advocating for peace and unity, challenging political movements and creating change…
Bob Marley’s messages of love and unity was perhaps not as successful in the 1970s because our violence was imported and managed by and for external interests. As Babylon prepares for its fall, its hold on Jamaica is compromised, and this is the right time for the Rastafari messages of love and unity. Consciousness and liberation are still some of the messages we associate and expect from Rasta, unfortunately, it would appear that Rasta has lost its value locally and as an agent of change in our society.
Bob Marley, Reggae music and Rastafarianism represents a few of the most renowned parts of Jamaican culture, it seems however that the Marley legacy is busy chasing Grammys as opposed to using music to create change…as was the real impassioned legacy of Robert Nesta Marley, Reggae and Rastafari. We are left with Capitalist Rastafari, token international Grammy awards, and an ailing culture directed by dancehall music, reversely influenced by Hip-hop and the American lifestyle!
Entertainment lawyer Lloyd Stanbury agreed:
Reggae requires much more than the focus on who wins “Best Reggae Album” at the GRAMMYS
— Lloyd Stanbury (@StanburyLloyd) January 30, 2018
While younger Jamaicans acknowledge the Marley legacy, reggae music and its fans are changing as the world changes.
Chronixx, whose lyrics deal with climate change, rising crime, and internet addiction, is being called the “new golden boy” of reggae. His hit song “Do It for the Love, not for the Likes”, became a popular Jamaican catchphrase and hashtag, #DoItFortheLove.
In response to all these changes, if Bob Marley were alive today he might well remind us of a line from his song “Natural Mystic”: “There's a natural mystic blowing through the air…if you listen carefully now you will hear.” In other words, time, space — and everything in it — move along naturally. Maybe in the end, it all comes down to the music, no matter how it evolves.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Emma Lewis


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Macau’s Cybersecurity Law: Less About Security, More About Surveillance (And Censorship) · Global Voices
Chinese Border-crossing Question and Answer

Graffiti art of surveillance camera. Published and labeled for reuse on Pixabay.
The following article is based on a translation of a post that appeared first in Chinese on Hong Kong citizen media outlet inmediahk.net.
Macau, a former Portuguese colony and a special administrative region on the south coast of China, has begun public consultations on a proposed Cybersecurity Law.
The Macau government is proposing the legislation in an effort to ensure the “security of network communications.” The law would establish a local cybersecurity standing committee and a cybersecurity center which would monitor online information flows in binary code to keep track of and investigate future cyber attacks. The center would coordinate with government departments to supervise and implement protection procedures for companies in 11 crucial sectors, including internet operators, media organizations, water and energy suppliers, financial and banking companies, gambling companies and medical institutions, among others.
The law would also obligate telecommunication operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to implement a real-name registration system, in which all users would be required to be fully identified in all their online activities. The law would require ISPs to keep users’ online activity logs for at least one year.
Various critics say the proposed law will provide a legal framework for mass surveillance, much more so than improve network security.
To look into the rationality behind the legislation, the Chinese Q&A news team interviewed a senior information security analyst who works in one of the 11 crucial sectors listed in the consultation document, to get an insider's perspective.
A: There haven’t been any major hacking incidents [affecting public security] in Macau in recent years, neither the public nor the public sector has been attacked by hackers. (The WannaCry kind of ransomware is not target specific attack.)
[Editor’s note: according to media report, apart from the WannaCry ransomware, a Macau ISP operator was hacked in January 2013, but only 34 clients’ information were stolen. This, however, was not considered a serious security breach.]
There is no need to set up a mechanism for monitoring data flows. If we have to monitor data flows, we have to record and analyze all of the data, much like immigration officers unpacking travelers’ baggage. Moreover, this type of monitoring system cannot prevent a cyber attack.
To take it a bit further, here are the two most common forms of cyber attack:
1. Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDOS): A massive DDoS would produce a tremendous amount of data. Recording the data flow would require a huge storage space and a good deal of manpower. In other words, you can’t possibly monitor data flows in a DDoS attack.
2. Hacking of website and private network: In the case of targeted hacking attack, the incident response team of the cybersecurity center would have to get evidence from the server under attack. Of course, evidence can be obtained from a network facility. However, recording and unpacketing all the data packet on the network is a very ineffective way of gathering evidence in the investigation of a cyber attack.
On the other hand, the data flow monitoring mechanism is effective for keyword filtering. For example, when the data packet contains keyword like “Vindication of June 4”, the monitoring system can send out an alert. But this is not a network security measure — it looks much more internet censorship, in the style of mainland China.
A: Commercial sector representatives are still in the process of understanding the content of the proposal. For example, the proposal mentioned that operators of the 11 crucial sectors have to hand in a network security report, but it did not mention what should be included in the report. It also said that operators should conduct a qualification and professional background check when appointing key positions. But what do they mean by “qualification”? Should the employees obtain a license from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information? And what is the meaning of “background check”? Do they need to prove that they love China and Macau? These are major concerns from the information security sector.
A: There was no consultation among the business sector. The proposal was released on 8 December 2017 without prior notification and we had just one week to prepare for the consultation, which made it a very rushed process.
A: As a cybersecurity worker, I don’t think the proposed cybersecurity management framework is capable of maintaining what the draft proposes, which is a “three-level monitoring system that involves top [government authorities] and bottom [business operators] who will integrate strategy and implementation in an organic manner”. To the contrary, the framework will obstruct cybersecurity work.
From the cybersecurity sector’s viewpoint, policy makers and executive personnel should be familiar enough with the technology in order to integrate strategy and implementation in an organic manner.
In the so-called three-level cybersecurity management framework, the business operators would be supervised by government administrative bodies.
Would the government authorities have the ability [i.e. technical know-how] to supervise and protect network safety or assist the business operators to defend against cyber attacks? Why not set up an independent department with professional knowledge to manage the cybersecurity work?
Q: Would the proposed law, such as the policy of SIM card real name registration, affect the economic interest of the business sectors, in particular the gambling, media and ISP sectors?
A: First, regarding real-name registration of SIM cards, the policy would have little effect on the gambling and ISP sectors. Currently when applying for service, users have to provide their identity card or passport for registration. As for media, this is rather sensitive. Reporters’ communication is subjected to wiretapping. If all SIM cards have to be registered with real name, there will be certain negative impact.
Second, regarding operators’ cybersecurity reports, the content of the reports may involve some business secrets and of course the business sector doesn’t want any third party (including the government) to get hold of their secrets. Would the government allow the operators to submit a security report that hides sensitive and important information?
Third, regarding the duty of cooperators, the proposal mentioned that operators have to allow representatives of the cybersecurity center to enter its facilities and offices and assist their work by providing information and cooperation as requested. For those who cannot fulfill their duties, they would be seen as violating the administrative regulation and subjected to a MOP$50,000-150,000 fine for a minor offense and a MOP$150,000-5,000,000 fine for a serious offense.
However, if a business is subjected to cyber attack, the first thing that they do is try to recover the system. In the case of gambling businesses, the security incident would be handled by internal security staff as well as cybersecurity subcontractors who have the most advanced tools and knowledge. Moreover, they have signed an agreement of confidentiality. However, according to the government proposal, the police and the director of Postal and Telecommunication services would be responsible for cybersecurity alerts and prevention measures. For the business sector, of course they would seek help from a professional security team rather than the government authorities. Yet, by doing so, will the business be fined? If the government demands that investigation should come before system recovery, who would cover the loss?
A: It would create a chilling effect for the public. Real-name registration will assist the monitoring of data and people will be worried about the security of private communication. Moreover, currently, ISPs already have the power to monitor our online activities or even intercept the data in the network. With this legislation, such power would be in the hands of the police and people would not know if their communication is being intercepted.


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Searching for ‘indios’ in Ecuador and Venezuela: A Lesson in Language and Data · Global Voices
Iria Puyosa

Indigenous protest in Ecuador in February 2017 Photo: Public Domain ()
In our work with Global Voices’ NewsFrames project, we use data to create evidence-based stories that explore a broad spectrum of topics. Data can provide us with fascinating insights and guide our stories towards surprising conclusions. People who work in qualitative research are aware that while even “fuzzy searches” might lead to insightful findings, luck is not always on one's side. The difficulty with data is that it doesn't always shed light on the questions to you set out to answer. This is a story about what happens when the data doesn’t support the story we were expecting to find.
A Culture Shot is a NewFrames story type which looks at rhetorical patterns in news coverage on cultural themes. These posts are qualitative, discovery-driven, and help us gain interesting perspectives on the way certain topics are treated in the media. I was first inspired to write a Culture Shot story about the word “indios” (Indians) after watching a viral YouTube video that caused friction between Venezuelans and Ecuadorians and also raised questions about indigenous representation in media.
The video, which was posted on September 2017 and later removed, featured interviews with Ecuadorian street vendors, various customers, and also with female Venezuelan street vendors working in Quito, Ecuador's capital city. It caused an uproar for a number of reasons. To begin with, the creator of the video showed his interviewees sexually charged images of Venezuelan women which incited sexually explicit comments about the women selling on the streets. He also asked Ecuadorian vendors leading questions about Venezuelan migrants, which, in turn, elicited xenophobic comments. The video's high—or low—point was a response from a Venezuelan ice cream vendor. After being asked repeatedly why she preferred Venezuelan men over Ecuadorian men, she stated that Ecuadorians:
…son feos porque parecen indios.
… are ugly because they look like Indians.
Many Ecuadorians took to social media to voice their offense at the comment, while others questioned why being called an “indio” is considered offensive in the first place.
The controversy created by this video inspired me to research the nuances of the word “indio” as it is used in both Ecuadorian and Venezuelan media, as a way of exploring the varying representations of indigenous populations in these two countries. Media representation is an important area of investigation for NewsFrames, and Rising Frames, our collaboration with Global Voices’ Rising Voices, looks at the media framing of marginalized groups.
It was important to consider certain linguistic and historical factors while working on this story. Ecuador and Venezuela have different relationships with their indigenous populations, and I was expecting to discover substantive differences in media usage of the term in light of that. Ecuador has a larger indigenous population—around 8% of its citizens self-identify as members of one of the 13 official indigenous nationalities and more than half the country's population has an indigenous background. Ecuadorian indigenous people have also built strong political organizations to fight against structural discrimination. The indigenous population in Venezuela represents a smaller portion of the overall population—around 2%—divided among 34 ethnic groups. Discrimination is somewhat hidden and indigenous political organizations are weaker.
However, in both countries, the term “indio” has long been linked to racial discrimination. In Latin America, “indio” is considered derogatory in most formal contexts; the term indigenous is preferred by many. In Ecuador, “pueblos originarios” (original people) and “indigenous nationalities” are often the preferred terms, and it is not unusual for news media to refer to specific ethnic groups by name, for example, Shuar or Sarayaku. “Indio” is widely used colloquially in Venezuelan, but it is considered politically incorrect in formal settings. “Indigenous” is the preferred term in mass media, academia and political publications. In Venezuela, it is also not uncommon to use the name of specific ethnic groups such as Wayúu, Yukpa, Yanomami or Warao.
My investigation involved searching for the word “indios” in the NewsFrames Venezuela and  Ecuador Media Cloud collections (see fact box).
What is Media Cloud?
Media Cloud is an open source platform developed by the MIT Center for Civic Media and the Harvard Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Media Cloud is designed to aggregate, analyze, deliver and visualize information while answering complex quantitative and qualitative questions about the content of online media.
The word “indios” was, in fact, a common occurrence in Venezuelan media between June 1 and September 30, 2017, appearing in 1,344 stories. However, most of the stories were about the Cleveland Indians, a US Major League Baseball team. Although I knew this team was very popular in Venezuela, I was surprised to find that it was so prevalent in the search results for the term “indio”. I found only 102 stories in Ecuadorian media for the same timeframe, and a majority of these were related to India, the country. The stories that did refer to the indigenous population were primarily opinion pieces criticizing hidden racism in the country.
In the midst of everything, there was one other surprise that surfaced. The search for “indios” also revealed a small subset of stories about Chavism, or socialism in the 21st century. It just so happens that Venezuelan government-run media sometimes publishes stories framing their ideology as the fight by “Bolivarian indios” against neoliberal capitalism.
The data I examined did not end up shedding any light on my particular question about contrasting uses of the term “indios” in Ecuador versus Venezuela. The majority of the data that turned up in my queries of the word “indio” was not related to indigenous communities, but rather to other uses of the term. The appearance of “indios” as a reference to the US baseball team in Venezuelan media was a useful reminder of how homonyms and other linguistic particularities make it tricky to work with semantics in data journalism. And while I wasn't able to find enough relevant information to write the Culture Shot post, I came away with the following lessons about data journalism:
Lesson One: For terms with multiple meanings, irrelevant results are likely to make the researcher's search difficult. Sometimes the ratio of relevant hits to irrelevant hits is too low to provide meaningful insight.
Lesson Two and Three: Silence may be significant, but can signal further nuances and complications. It is probably the case, for instance, that the reason the term “indios” was little used in Venezuelan and Ecuadorian media to refer to indigenous populations media because it is considered politically incorrect. However, the absence of “indios” from public discourse may also suggest an avoidance of the discussion of hidden racism, and remains an investigation that is much more complicated to formulate.
And finally, Lesson Four: Data journalists must be willing to shelve stories when the data is not solid enough to support their hunches.
In the end, I gave up on writing the Culture Shot. But I felt it was important to write this failure story instead, to acknowledge that while data-driven stories are not always straightforward, that doesn't mean that the questions aren't worth asking. We keep searching because we know that today's messy investigation is the foundation for deeper insight in the future.

author: Iria Puyosa


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Africa Mourns Award-Winning Ugandan Musician Mowzey Radio, Dead at 33 · Global Voices
James Propa

Screenshot of Mowzey Radio (1985-2018) from Radio and Weasel's 2016 music video “Plenty Plenty”
Mowzey Radio, a Ugandan singer whose music was popular across the African continent, died on February 1, 2018, nine days after hitting his head in a bar brawl.
The 33-year-old, whose real name was Moses Ssekibogo Nakintijje and who sometimes went by Moses Radio, left his Kampala suburb home without his bodyguards on January 22, accompanied by one of his producers, Washington Magic, to check on the construction of his new lakeside mansion in Entebbe, Uganda. Later that evening, the two were invited to a pub in Entebbe by a friend, and while there, Mowzey Radio got into a fight that ended with bouncers throwing him to the tiled floor, cracking his skull.
Consequently, the singer fell into coma. He was initially rushed to a local clinic, then later to a larger hospital, where he had head surgery. For a few days, he showed signs of recuperation. However, his health deteriorated and he eventually died.
With his vocal ability and gift for lyrics, Mowzey Radio had won over the hearts of many Ugandans since he rose to fame in 2007. Mowzey Radio performed together with Douglas Mayanja (also known as Weasel Manizo) to form the Goodlyfe Crew and Radio & Weasel, and over the years the pair earned many local and international awards.
Other Ugandan entertainment personalities have died following similar incidents in the last three years, including musician Akay Fourtyseven, musician Master Blaster, producer Danz Kumapeesa, and Dizzy Nuts. These deaths have sparked fears among players in the Ugandan entertainment business.
During the Requiem Mass for Mowzey Radio, Weasel Manizo cried describing the work he and his now deceased musical partner had accomplished together:
My name is Mayanja Douglas Weasel… And Moses Radio has been my brother. We started together with nothing and promised each other heaven and earth. I believe you have been seeing how things have been… We went for the BET Awards, we have won many awards, trotted the whole world but finally my brother has left me. May he rest in peace. I do not have anything else to say. May he rest in peace.
Mowzey Radio's mother, Kasuubo Jane, remembered her son as generous with those he loved:
My son has been everything to me. He always gave me even the little he had. Mowzey Radio always took care of his sisters. However much others knew him as a chaotic man, I knew him as a simple, humble and talented son…. My son paid school fees for one of his sisters until she graduated recently. He had very many friends. I am left with nothing.
People including music stars from all over the continent and the world have expressed their grief over his death and paid tribute to his contribution to the African music industry.
Ugandan TV host Douglas Lwanga could not hold back the tears following the news:
????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??♂God this is the part it hits me again. RADIO IS GONE? Its like wakingup to a bad dream. God?
Farewell My brother
Farewell Radio#RIPMowzeyRadio ? pic.twitter.com/yT5s87H909
— Douglas Lwanga (@DouglasLwangaUg) February 3, 2018
Nigerian artist and international music sensation Wizkid also tweeted in memory of Mowzey Radio; he had collaborated with Radio & Weasel on a song called “Don't Cry” a few years ago:
Rip Radio ?
— Wizkid (@wizkidayo) February 3, 2018
International award-winning Nigerian musician Peter Okoye, of the defunt PSquare, praised Mowzey Radio's talent:
My heart goes out to the entire Ssekibogo family and Ugandan music lovers and Fans? Just heard about the passing of Mowzey Radio? R.I.P. Bro. You were a Man of great Talent and you will be missed.☹??R.I.P. #RipRadio #MowzeyRadio pic.twitter.com/oqZhXVq6uy
— Peter Okoye MrP (@PeterPsquare) February 1, 2018
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni made a financial contribution of about $9,000 for Mowzey Radio's hospital bills and also footed the costs of his burial. Mowzey had been part of the team that made an all star song titled “Tubonga Naawe” (youthful Luganda slang which translates to “We conquer with you”) to campaign for the president's re-election in 2016.
On Facebook, musician-turned-member of parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, could not believe the passing of Mowzey Radio but also commended his short and influential life.
Sleep well my friend, my brother.
It is so sad that you have gone when your family, friends, the music industry and your country needed you most. It is very hard to believe. Words cannot express how I feel right now. Very, very sad that we as a generation have lost you. We shall always celebrate your short but very influencial life. One day we shall find you there. May the Lord receive your good soul in eternal glory.
#RestInPower
On Instagram, renowned hair stylist and barber Mart barber shared a photo of one of his customers who got the late musician's face designed into the back of his hair:
A post shared by Martbarber uganda (@martbarber_uganda) on
The last music video that Mowzey Radio released was for a Radio & Weasel song titled “Remember Me” that speaks about a one-night stand which he wishes to follow up on but questions whether the partner will remember him the same way. Given his untimely passing, however, verses like “If I give you love will you remember me” take on a new significance:
Radio & Weasel also recently released a single titled “Mama” in which he praises his mother. The artist is said to have left behind a number of unreleased projects.
Mowzey Radio was laid to rest on February 3, 2018, at his mother's home in Kagga.

author: James Propa


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Brazil’s Largest Newspaper Quits Facebook, Accuses it of Harboring ‘Fake News’ · Global Voices
Taisa Sganzerla

Facebook announced in January it will reduce content published by pages — including brands and media — from users’ newsfeeds, favoring instead posts by friends. Image: Pixabay CC0
One of Brazil's largest and most influential newspapers decided to rebel against Facebook by ceasing to publish content on its page, which has nearly six million followers.
The move, which was announced in an editorial-like article on February 8, may be unprecedented for a major news outlet page with such a massive following. Time will tell whether other major news outlets follow in Folha's footsteps.
The media conglomerate Folha de S. Paulo, whose print and digital sales nears the 300,000 copies, said its decision stems primarily from Facebook's recent change on users’ news feed, which aims to reduce the amount of content posted by Facebook pages, instead favoring posts by friends and family.
The article says:
[The current newsfeed] underscores the tendency of the user to consume content with which they have affinity, favoring the creation of opinion bubbles and spread of fake news.
In addition to its main Facebook page, Folha's Facebook pages for individual sections of the newspaper boast an additional 2.2 million followers. Folha does not plan to get rid of the Facebook pages, but says that from now on, they will no longer be updated. The last post on the page's timeline is the article announcing its exit.
Folha says it will continue updating its accounts on Twitter (with 6.2 million followers), Instagram (727,000 followers) and LinkedIn (72,000 followers).
For Brazilians who get most of their news on Facebook, this will mean that they won't be getting it from Folha in the future. But the editorial adds that Facebook had lost prominence among its distribution platforms even before the tech company announced its algorithm change. In a study conducted by Folha itself, which analyzed interactions in 51 Facebook pages from professional media outlets and 21 from “fake or sensational news” sites, showed that users’ interactions with the first group dropped by 17% from October to December 2017. Interactions with the second group (“fake and sensational news sites”) rose by 61% in the same period.
Still, Folha executive editor Sérgio D'Ávila said in an interview with The Guardian that Facebook's algorithm change was “the deciding factor”:
In effectively banning professional journalism from its pages in favour of personal content and opening space for “fake news” to proliferate, Facebook became inhospitable terrain for those who want to offer quality content like ours.
Unease over “fake news” and misinformation looms large in Brazil ahead of the September 2018 presidential elections. This will be the first ballot following the controversial impeachment of president Dilma Rousseff of the Workers’ Party in 2016.
In early December 2017, Brazil's government established a committee to monitor and possibly order the blocking of false news reports on social media before the upcoming election. The news has raised concerns about censorship among the public.
Founded in 1921 and owned since 1962 by the Frias family, whose origins trace back to Brazil's 19th-century colonial aristocracy, Folha de S. Paulo is generally seen as the most liberal of Brazil's center-right mainstream press, although still associated with Brazilian society's more conservative sectors.
It has long been accused of collaborating with the military regime that governed Brazil from 1964 to 1985, by even lending its cars to the police at that time. The newspaper denies these allegations. In 2009, an editorial referred to the military regime as ‘ditabranda‘, meaning ‘meek dictatorship’, when comparing it to other regimes of the time in Latin America, sparking outrage among the public and a rally in front of the paper's headquarters.
During the 2013 protests, Folha reporter Giuliana Vallone was shot with a rubber bullet in the eye on the same day Folha ran an editorial defending the police crackdown. The following widespread circulation of a photo of Vallone on social with a bleeding eye was considered a major turning point in the protests — and one that prompted a shift in the press toward supporting the rallies.

author: Taisa Sganzerla


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FBI Investigation Helps Uncover Latest Bribery Scandal In Greece · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

Bribery. Image from Pixabay, CC0.
In the last few weeks, Greece has witnessed an increasingly turbulent political scene. Initially, a large part of the current political events was due to the re-emerging national debate about the FYROM/Macedonia naming dispute; however, the latest turmoil has been triggered by a financial scandal involving the pharmaceutical colossus Novartis and alleged bribes to political officials.
On 6 February 2018, Parliament received allegations against the pharmaceutical company which were made by anonymous witnesses in the case. According to the earliest known facts, there are indications of “bribes” which tallied up to 50 million euros and involved 10 high-ranking political figures from the previous Greek administration in a total of more than 30 people, including former general secretaries, political counselors and former directors of government agencies. The loss for the Greek state is estimated to exceed 3 billion euros for the period between 2000-2015.
Τhe scandal has already been dubbed a “megaton bomb“. Minister of Justice Stavros Kontonis has called it “the biggest scandal since the creation of the modern Greek state“, even surpassing the Siemens Case, a corruption and bribery scandal regarding security systems and the purchase of state contracts in the 1990s.
Novartis Building in Basel, Switzerland. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Novartis, a multinational healthcare company based in Switzerland, is at the epicenter of a global investigation about alleged illegal payments to state officials which led to unfair competition practices and established its leading position in the global market.
Since 2014, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the FBI have been investigating and discovering numerous company malpractices — allegedly applied in Greece as well. These malpractices include bribes to politicians, state officials associated with the Ministry of Health, doctors and hospital staff. Doctors would allegedly promote and prescribe Novartis’ products which would sometimes cost much more than their competition.
As pointed out in several media outlets over the last few days:
[…] η Ελλάδα είναι χώρα ειδικού ενδιαφέροντος για την Novartis, αφού η τιμή ενός προϊόντος στην Ελλάδα, θα επηρέαζε την τιμή του διεθνώς. Έτσι, μια αύξηση 10 σεντ στην Ελλάδα, υπολογίζεται ότι μπορεί να μεταφράζεται σε κέρδη 25 εκατομμυρίων για την εταιρεία.
Greece is a country of special interest for Novartis; the price of a product in Greece would influence its price worldwide. An increase of 10 cents in Greece would bring a 25 million profit for the company.
Novartis had played a crucial role in promoting ophthalmologic and oncological drugs for cancer patients as well as high numbers of vaccines against the H1N1 flu virus with significant financial gain for the company. As indicated in a 2009 article by news portal Euro2Day:
Η μετοχή της εταιρίας καταγράφει αυτήν την ώρα άνοδο της τάξης του 3,16%.
The stock of the company is currently recording a 3.16% rise.
Twitter user NikosBovolos now sarcastically wonders:
Ποιος να φανταζόταν ότι θα είχαμε κάποτε σκάνδαλα στην υγεία τότε που ο Αβραμόπουλος παράγγελνε 16 εκατομμύρια εμβόλια για μια χώρα 10 εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων;#Novartis
— Ο Νίκος ο Μπόβολος (@NikosBovolos) 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
Who could imagine that we would see scandals in the Health sector, when [ex-Ministry of Health and now accused] Mr. Avramopoulos ordered 16 million vaccines for a country with a population of 10 million?
After news of this latest scandal hit the press, social media outlets started getting flooded with reactions, comments and memes by netizens under the hashtags #novartis or #Novartis_gate. There have also been reactions offline in response to the allegations by the accused prominent political figures themselves.
Among the first questions raised about the credibility of this latest news was the convenient timing of its revelation. The anonymous protected witness testimonies were given last November and the last one was given on February 4th, at the peak of the “Macedonia/FYROM talks”. The news about the scandal gained more traction around the same time a massive rally took place in Athens which protested the use of the term “Macedonia” as an official state name by neighboring FYROM. As the current scandal takes over headlines, some feel that this might be a tactic to distract from this pressing political issue affecting the current administration:
Για να δείτε πόσο εύκολα αλλάζει η ατζέντα και τα πρωτοσέλιδα και πάει περίπατο το συλλαλητήριο #Novartis
— Dimitris Ikonomou (@dimoikonomu) 5 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
See how easily agenda and headlines are shifted and the rally just fades out
Μια #Novartis την ημέρα την #Μακεδονια κάνει πέρα
— peristeraRa (@peristeraRa) 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
A “Novartis” [case] a day keeps “Macedonia” [case] away
100 #Novartis να βγαλετε # syriza_xeftiles Η Μακεδονια ειναι ΜΙΑ κ ελληνικη pic.twitter.com/VJupavmo0t
— kgogon (R) (@kgogon) 7 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
Even if you reveal 100 Novartis [cases], Macedonia is ONE and is Greek
In addition, a crucial issue for the Prosecutor of the Corruption Bureau is preserving the anonymity of the protected witnesses — two men and a woman — since they have allegedly expressed fear for their own lives. And not unreasonably.
One of the accused Greek politicians, Evangelos Venizelos, former Deputy Prime Minister and current Minister in various departments for the PASOK party, asked for the witnesses’ protection to be canceled so that anyone can sue them for slander or perjury. Later, he made comments which many felt threatened the witnesses.
Ευάγγελος Βενιζέλος για τους μάρτυρες στο σκάνδαλο Novartis: “…νομίζουν οι δύστυχοι ότι θα είναι εσαεί προστατευμένοι”.
Ίσως η χυδαιότερη φράση που ειπώθηκε από πολιτικό τον 21ο αιώνα, κι ο ανταγωνισμός μόνο ευκαταφρόνητος δεν είναι…
— Elikas (@Elikas) February 8, 2018
Evangelos Venizelos for the Novartis scandal witnesses: “…poor people, they believe they will be protected forever”.
Maybe the vilest phrase said by a politician at the 21st century. And the competition is rather not insignificant…
Marios Salmas, the former Deputy Minister of Health for the New Democracy party, also accused of receiving illegal payments by Novartis, appeared live in a TV broadcast and also threatened to punish the case's protected witnesses. According to the feature video in an article by the Tribune news portal, he insists:
[…]Σας λέω ένα πράγμα οι μάρτυρες αυτοί που κατέθεσαν εδώ –ας τους άλλαξαν ταυτότητα- θα βρεθούν και θα τιμωρηθούν. Είναι μικρή η Ελλάδα.
I only say one thing. Those witnesses that testified here — even if they got new identities — will be found and will be punished. Greece is a small country.
Twitter user @Kyria_Katy acutely mourned:
Ζω στη Χώρα, που σε ζωντανή τηλεοπτική εκπομπή, με περίσσιο θράσος, πρώην Υφυπουργός Υγείας, απειλεί προστατευόμενους μάρτυρες. #Novartis_gate #Novartis
— Pyrgodespoina (@Kyria_Katy) 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
I live in a country where an ex Minister of Health of remarkable nerve threatens protected witnesses in a live TV broadcast.
And user @Paralogistis exclaimed:
Ελλάδα η μοναδική χώρα στον πλανήτη όπου δικάζονται οι μάρτυρες pic.twitter.com/A6N3rTmE9X
— paralogistis (@paralogistis1) 7 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
Greece, the only country in the planet where the ones judged are the witnesses.
[The image reads]:
Novartis Scandal.
Ev. Venizelos: Do the witnesses think they will be forever protected?
M. Salmas: The protected witnesses will be found and punished!
A public debate has also been initiated regarding whether or not the allegations made in the testimonies have any base or are simply an attempt to tarnish prominent political figures from both the opposition ex-ruling parties of PASOK and New Democracy, as  German business newspaper Handelsblatt notes.
The ten prominent politicians, two ex-Prime Ministers and eight ex-Ministers alleged to be involved in the scandal, have denounced the accusations against them. Some of them even threatened to react with lawsuits, calling the case “political targeting” and “bullying”. Ex-Prime Minister Antonis Samaras declared that he will press charges against Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and against Dimitris Papaggelopoulos, ex-Director General of the National Intelligence Service and current Minister of Justice.
Another accused MP, Adonis Georgiadis, ex-Minister of Health for the New Democracy party, known for his controversial statements, expressed his belief that the whole scandal is “set and directed” by the Alternate Minister of Health Pavlos Polakis, who was implied to be an FBI agent.
Mr. Polakis himself answered via his Facebook page with a hilarious meme he had received from netizens:
Adonis, you are right!!!! I even received my ID card !!!!
Haha, I just died laughing, I was sent this not long ago!!!
The main argument against the accusations of this case is that the alleged perpetrators claim they cannot be brought to justice due to a statute of limitations.
Πόσο θράσος πρέπει να έχεις
για να τουητάρεις είδηση που λέει
ότι αδικήματα του σκανδάλου #Novartis
– που αφορούν περίοδο στην οποία
ήσουν υπουργός – έχουν παραγραφεί !#Novartis_gate κ ποιός είχε τσίπα κ την έχασε ! pic.twitter.com/v1dtjAst1I
— Μανόλης della Creta (@baxebanis) 5 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
How much nerve you must have, when you tweet a news story saying that the Novartis scandal offenses – taken place during your term as a Minister – have been time-barred! As if he even had honor and lost it!
Είναι δυνατόν η επίσημη θέση της #ΝΔ στο #Novartis_gate να επικεντρώνεται στην τυχόν παραγραφή κάποιων από τα αδικήματα; Σοβαρά τώρα; #Novartis
— Κapoios Αllos (@Kapoiosmpla) 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2018
Is it possible that the official argumental line of New Democracy party about #Novartis_Gate focuses at the possibility of time-barred offenses? Seriously now?
This scandal is unfolding slowly and has been shaking the whole Greek political and social scene. However, there are doubts about whether or not any real results will come of the case, as many feel that Greece has a bad history of bringing “real” justice to similar cases. Let's see what the repercussions will be in the following days and months.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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From Street Murals to #WeWalk, Thais Protest Against Corruption and Call for Restoration of Democracy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

“We walk with friends. We walk to meet friends. We walk to open a space for those who have no other way to freely tell.” Participants of #WeWalk held a protest in front of a police station after their leaders were charged for violating the ban on public assembly. Photo from Prachatai, a content partner of Global Voices
Despite the ban on public gatherings and protest actions in Thailand, several groups and individuals were able to organize outdoor activities throughout the first six weeks of 2018 that challenged the policies of the junta-led government.
In 2014, Thailand's military staged a coup and has remained in power through a constitution it drafted in 2016. It has vowed to restore civilian rule, but Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was the head of the army during the coup, has not yet fixed a date for elections.
Meanwhile, the junta has strictly regulated the media and outlawed the gathering of five or more persons. It also has suppressed dissent by “inviting” critics to undergo “attitude-adjustment” sessions inside army camps, and arrested hundreds of individuals through its aggressive enforcement of the Lese Majeste (Anti-Royal Insult) law.
But activists and a growing number of concerned Thais have found creative ways to express their political views despite the threat of criminal prosecution. Below are a few examples of how some Thais have recently managed to campaign for the restoration of democracy:
The People Go civil society network organized “We Walk, A Walk for Friendship” on 20 January 2018 to highlight the detrimental policies of the junta on social security, agriculture, natural resources and freedom of expression.
Hundreds were expected to join the 450-kilometer march traversing the northern part of the country, but the police blocked its progress. The organizers eventually decided to divide the march into groups of four to avoid violating the junta ban on public gatherings of five or more persons.
Nevertheless, the police filed a case against People Go's leaders and more than a dozen activists for failing to inform authorities about the protest.
Some farmers said they joined the protest to air their grievances against abusive landlords. The march is expected to end on February 17.
Several daring protests were organized after a Cabinet photoshoot revealed that General Prawit Wongsuwan, the deputy head of the junta government, was wearing an expensive watch. After this, social media users did some online sleuthing and revealed 25 other expensive watches used by Prawit on various occasions. Many Thais were outraged by the issue, especially since the army has vowed to fight corruption in the bureaucracy.
Prawit is now being investigated by the country’s anti-corruption commission because the watches are not listed on his statement of assets. He said the watches do not belong to him and he merely borrowed the luxury items from his friends.
During an inter-university sports parade, some students displayed an effigy mocking Prawit in a rare public protest directed against a leading junta official:
Political satire parades at #CUTUball72 by student from both @ChulalongkornU and Thammasat universities today
(Photo: @duangtip_TPBS) pic.twitter.com/uRAbYavPWo
— ThaiPBS English (@ThaiPBSEnglish) February 3, 2018
An artist known as Headache Stencil also created a street mural placing the image of Prawit inside an alarm clock. He explained why he chose that particular time-keeping device:
It’s the alarm clock that wakes up every Thai person in the country. So many Thais just opened their eyes and woke up from an unrealistic dream.
Mural depicting General Prawit Wongsuwan by Headache Stencil. Source: Facebook
The mural was whitewashed after several days. Later, the artist wrote on Facebook that he was forced to hide after authorities allegedly stalked his and his acquaintances’ homes:
To the police who sent officers to go to my acquaintances’ homes in the middle of the night, your methods are not quite the police’s way to do things … I only expressed my thoughts through art, the way it works in other countries.
I didn’t kill anyone. You don’t need to hunt me down.
The photo of the mural went viral on social media. One of those who expressed solidarity with Headache Stencil was Bangkok-based political cartoonist @stephh:
And the anti-junta creative award goes to … the author of this graffiti !!!! @PravitR @Reaproy pic.twitter.com/wGF93nRoxn
— stephff cartoonist (@stephffart) February 4, 2018
In the cartoon above, NCPO refers to the National Council for Peace and Order, the name of the junta-led government.
Meanwhile, some activists were detained by the police for doing a street mime mocking Prawit.
Breaking! Four activists arrested & charged with illegal assembly after performing a mime mocking Deputy PM Gen. Prawit's corruption scandals. #Thailand #dictatorship pic.twitter.com/Xw7rK4ze7H
— Sunai (@sunaibkk) February 2, 2018
An online petition calling for the resignation of Prawit has received more than 60,000 signatures.
A counter-petition by Prawit supporters quickly got 16,000 signatures, but it was later detected that bots were responsible for inflating its numbers. Dozens of Prawit supporters also staged a street rally asking him to remain in government.
Around 39 activists were arrested after they joined a public assembly urging Prime Minister Prayut to fulfill his promise of conducting elections in 2018. More than 100 took part in the protest. The activists were charged for violating the Lese Majeste law because the venue of the protest was located near a temple owned by the monarchy.
The Political Prisoners in Thailand blog commented on the use of a law intended to protect the monarchy in order to detain political activists:
The junta’s looking increasingly frazzled. Using the monarchy for these political charges means that it is willing to engender more confrontation and conflict in order to preserve its power.
The anti-junta protests are expected to generate more attention and even support from the public as the junta continues to evade questions related to the demand for the restoration of elections and democracy in Thailand.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Netizen Report: Cyber Attacks Sideline Independent Media in Azerbaijan, Philippines · Global Voices
Netizen Report Team

“Hacker” by the Preiser Project via Flickr. (CC BY 2.0)
Technical attacks ranging from 1:1 hacking incidents to full-on DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks have become an increasingly common tactic for silencing critical voices on the internet. Two examples of this threat have emerged in recent weeks in Azerbaijan and the Philippines.
Independent news site MeydanTV was one of those targeted in a wave of attacks on the websites, Facebook pages and email accounts of Azerbaijani dissidents and their supporters. Meydan TV, which has provided routine coverage of politics and social movements (despite clear and present risks), had its Facebook account hacked, resulting in the loss of years’ worth of posts and 100,000 followers.
The attacks appear to be part of a broad campaign to quell online dissent in Azerbaijan in the lead-up to presidential elections this October. Another such measure came with legal amendments in 2017 that enabled the government to block websites including MeydanTV and the independent news sites Azadliq, Radio Azatliq, Turan TV, and Azerbaijan Hour on “national security” grounds.
Across the ocean in the Philippines, independent media site Kodao is facing a powerful attack that has left it offline for a week, as of February 8.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the attack and reported that it was the result of a “code injection” against Kodao’s WordPress site that has prevented technicians and staff from logging in.
Referencing the Duterte government’s recent attempt to revoke the license of Rappler, another prominent independent news site in the Philippines, the NUJP said it “sees the attack on Kodao as part of the Duterte government's efforts to silence critical media, as seen in the continuing attempt to shut down Rappler, threaten other news outfits, and other voices of dissent.”
Although he is currently in exile in the UK, Kuwaiti citizen Abdullah al-Saleh was convicted in absentia by a Kuwaiti court of multiple charges of insulting the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in his online postings. He was sentenced to a cumulative total of 31 years in prison. Al-Saleh is a prominent blogger, YouTuber and social media voice, with more than 106,000 followers on Twitter. Among other political commentary, al-Saleh has openly criticized the Saudi-led diplomatic blockade against Qatar.
BBC Indonesia editor Rebecca Henschke was asked to leave the remote Indonesian island region of Papua after military officials said that she had “hurt the feelings of TNI (Indonesian military) personnel” with a tweet. Henschke was reporting on a massive outbreak of measles and chickenpox in Papua that has claimed the lives of at least 61 children. The tweet, which Henschke has since taken down, cast doubt on the quality of food being brought to malnourished children by the Indonesian military.
The open-source web publishing tool known as the Accelerated Mobile Pages project, run by Google, was blocked in Egypt on February 2. The project has been a boon for independent Egyptian media sites that would otherwise be completely blocked and thus difficult to run from inside the country. Like many other smaller websites in Egypt, news outlet and Global Voices partner Mada Masr has been using the platform since its site was blocked in May 2017.
Lawmakers in Honduras are reviewing legislation that seeks to regulate hate speech, insults, threats, and incitement to violence on the internet. The law would place the burden of to determining what content does (or does not) qualify as offending content on private internet platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Companies that fail to comply will face financial penalties. In a critical analysis of the law for Chilean NGO Derechos Digitales, policy expert Juan Carlos Lara explained:
La regulación de las expresiones en línea en Honduras se produce en un contexto político álgido, de riesgo para la libertad de prensa, y un reciente proceso electoral marcado por las protestas y la violencia, donde las redes sociales digitales fueron quizás un factor importante en la movilización social.
The regulation of online expression in Honduras is emerging in a pivotal political moment, where press freedom is at risk, recent elections have been marked by protests and violence, and social media networks were a key factor in social mobilization.
Control over Apple’s iCloud in China will be transferred on February 28 to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD), a company owned by the Guizhou provincial government. Although Apple says it has strong data privacy and security protections in place, and “no backdoors will be created into any of [their] systems,” GCBD will have access to all user data — including content of communications — according to a newly added clause in the agreement that iCloud users in China must accept.
Reporters Without Borders is urging journalists and bloggers to quit iCloud. The press freedom watchdog voiced concerns that the transition will pose a threat to the security of journalists and their personal data.
YouTube announced plans to start labeling content that is posted by governments or government-funded news and information sources. A company blog post about the change said: “Our goal is to equip users with additional information to help them better understand the sources of news content that they choose to watch on YouTube.” In its initial phase, this feature will only be functional in the US.
Researchers pointed out last week that Facebook has secured a patent for a technical process that effectively measures a person’s socioeconomic status. The process assigns value to factors like home ownership, travel history and education level, and appears to be part of Facebook’s broader strategy for targeted advertisement.
The Spanish city of Barcelona announced plans to transition all applications on city government computers away from Microsoft and replace them with open source alternatives. This year, 70% of the city’s software budget will go toward developing open source software.
Afef Abrougui, Renata Avila, Ellery Roberts Biddle, Marianne Diaz,  Weiping Li, Karolle Rabarison, Elizabeth Rivera, Juke Carolina Rumuat, Laura Vidal and Sarah Myers West contributed to this report.

author: Netizen Report Team


text:
‘The Educational System Has Failed Us’: The Grief and Frustration of Jordan’s Unemployed University Graduates · Global Voices
Maram Alkayed

The Clock Tower, a landmark at the University of Jordan. Photo by Yousef Dahdouh. Used with permission.
The year of 2017 brought with it an unfortunate rise of unemployment in Jordan, hitting a peak of 18.5%. The future does not look so bright either, with 2018 promising an even bigger rise.
For university degree holders, the situation is worse than that of the general population: 23% are unemployed. Of those graduates who are jobless, 27% are men, while 68% are women.
Tuition fees have skyrocketed in recent years, but those who manage to pay aren't guaranteed a decent living at the end of the academic road. Graduates who Global Voices spoke with complained that while at university they had to navigate politics and confusing government job advice, and afterward they have found themselves stuck with menial and underpaid work — or no work at all.
“My education has, if anything, hindered my employment,” Lara Mohsen, a former student at Al-Balqa Applied University, told Global Voices.
The education that Lara and many more are referring to is that provided by public and private universities. Since the form of government in Jordan is a parliamentary monarchy, the students have to deal with ever-changing admission policies, with each government either building on or completely changing the policies of the one before it.
Moreover, students often find themselves witnessing dangerous tribal clashes on campus since tribal rule is predominant in Jordan and the inner problems of tribes can often find their way into educational institutions through youth.
Yazan Bahbouh, who graduated as an accountant from the University of Petra, told Global Voices that he couldn't see the benefit of his degree:
I graduated as an accountant from the University of Petra, and I got offered a job at a private company almost immediately. I was above the clouds, since it is uncommon for a recent graduate to land a job so quickly. The first day on the job, I realized I would be counting boxes for inventory. A job that I would be performing alongside high-school drop outs at the very same company. I resigned only a few weeks after. I couldn’t handle getting paid even less than my colleagues who drive the vans, given that they make more on tips than I, a person who has spent 4 years of his life getting an education.
Dana, a pharmacy graduate, told Global Voices that she was exploited at her job to do extra work that is not in her job description:
After five years of college, I graduated as a pharmacist. I found a job at a local pharmacy that had a vacancy and started working right away. One week into the job, I found out that I must take turns with my other colleague who has the night shift to wipe floors, and dust shelves. I thought ‘great, I really needed continuous four-hour lab training lectures for this’ and left the job immediately.
The story of Yazan and Dana are not unique. University graduates often refuse jobs that they consider beneath their level of education, but with 100,000 new graduates looking for jobs every year, the positions that Yazan and Dana refused could easily be filled by many others desperate for them.
Taima, a graduate in translation from Yarmouk University, said that she gets paid as much now as she did during her freelancing years as a student:
I used to work as a freelance translator while I was still a student. A lot of translation bureaus would demand a degree in translation, so I would revert to translating for individuals who just wanted a one-time kind of service. I thought that once I graduated I would be able to land those bureau jobs and make a better living. You would be shocked to find that I now make the same amount as I did as a student.
She continued:
A [translation] bureau once told me that there is an ‘overflow’ of translation and language graduates. Later on, I realized I should have contemplated more carefully what to study, since the market needs are continuously changing.
Jordan's Civil Service Bureau issues annual reports on the specializations needed most in the job market, and what sectors of the market have reached full employment. The agency also sends advice to the Ministry of Higher Education as to what majors are not needed in the market and thus should be shut down, and what majors should accept lower student numbers.
However, universities and students are often skeptical of such reports, given that they are issued by the government, which many view as being responsible for the unemployment problem to begin with.
The reports often advise universities to exterminate majors that are not required in the public sector (such as psychology), even if there might be demand for them in the private sector. Moreover, a specialization might not pay off in Jordan due to the current state of the economy, but could be lucrative elsewhere.
For example, take Rawan, a dual citizen of Jordan and the US. After graduating from the Jordanian University of Science and Technology with a degree in veterinary medicine, Rawan was left unemployed for about a year, and has now decided to move back into the US:
I love my country, and I love living here [in Jordan], but I also cannot stay without work forever. I really thought I would move here for good, but the circumstances are not in my favor.
And there are other holes to be found in the bureau's advice, such as the fact that many people choose to avoid studying a major, whether it's officially recommended or not, that would require them to open their own businesses, as the trade policies that the government makes have been proved as ineffective.
The University of Jordan recently created a new major within its foreign languages faculty, a move which goes against the bureau report, which advised that universities decrease the number of students accepted into the specialization over the next five years.
The new and competitive program at the University of Jordan charges 60 Jordanian dinars (85 US dollars), which is three times the amount of any other in the faculty. Opening a new major with triple the charges in a faculty whose degree is said to be redundant by the government is quite the opposite of abiding by the report's findings.
Jihad, the son of a Jordanian mother and a Yemeni father, faces an even bigger problem. Born and raised in Jordan, Jihad is still considered Yemeni because the law in Jordan only allows Jordanian nationality to be passed down through the father.
Therefore, he is required to enroll under the international program at the University of Jordan. Although he passed the national Tawjeehi (the general secondary examination that grade 12 students must take in order to apply for university admission), he is still required to register as a foreigner, and pays 500 US dollars per credit hour while his colleagues enrolled in the competitive program pay 45 Jordanian dinars (63 US dollars).
Jihad works a job at a local medical center, earning 550 Jordanian dinars per month (500 US dollars). At that rate, he would have to work for approximately 22 years to pay for his education (that is, of course, only taking into account the official credit hours of the program, and excluding the cost of books, allowance, and added registration fees).
“I could open a whole hospital with the 132,500 US dollars that his education is going to cost me,” Jihad’s dad joked.
Luckily for others, new regulations issued in 2017 would give the children of Jordanian mothers and foreign fathers the same higher education privileges as Jordanian citizen, although that won’t be of much use to Jihad and the others whom have applied for universities before then. Moreover, Syrian refugees and non-Jordanian passport holders who were born and raised in Jordan (people who migrated to Jordan from Gaza in the 1948 and 1967 Israeli-Palestinian wars, for example) are excluded, and thus still have to enroll in the international program.
The stories of students who struggle with unemployment are abundant, but some face additional challenges like disabilities.
Hakeem is a short-sighted student who studied finance at the University of Jerash. After struggling through high school and university, he finally graduated with a 3.2 grade point average in 2015. He remains unemployed until this very day, as companies would prefer hiring one of the many candidates who do not have a disability to deal with.
Hakeem's childhood friend, who has himself regularly switched jobs ever since he graduated, told Global Voices that he hoped an education would help his friend:
I wanted [Hakeem] to get an education because I believed that he and I would have an equal chance to both study and work, but the educational system has failed us.
These stories paint a picture of joblessness in Jordan as experienced by university graduates, who invested money into a degree that they thought would bring them gainful employment, but that instead left them with disappointment in the real world and consequently in one’s country and self.

author: Maram Alkayed


text:
After Alleged Election Fraud and Protests, Honduran Congress Moves to Regulate Hate Speech Online · Global Voices
Melissa Vida

Hondurans have been protesting in rising numbers since the contested inauguration of incumbent president Juan Orlando Hernandez. Image by Flickr user ‘Rbreve’, used under Creative Commons. (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The Honduran Congress is debating a law that seeks to regulate hate speech and “fake news” on the Internet. Honduran activists and opposition political parties say the proposal would function as a gag law aimed at silencing government critics.
The motion was introduced less than a week after the contested inauguration of incumbent president Juan Orlando Hernandez on January 27. After a three-week period of uncertainty regarding the vote count, Hernandez was declared the victor, leading to a large public outcry and numerous street protests.
The would-be law obligates website administrators and telecommunication companies to monitor and remove speech considered to be hateful, insulting, threatening or incitement to violence. It also intends to tackle “fake news”.
Similar to efforts in other countries, including Germany's controversial new NetzDG law, this legislation would place the responsibility of determining what does (or does not) qualify as offending content on private internet platforms, like Facebook and Twitter. The experience of a company like Facebook, which already (under its own policies) seeks to keep hate speech off its platform, has proven that this is easier said than done.
The law does not describe how, specifically, internet providers would implement such procedures, but it would require companies and administrators to submit a report on their efforts to a governmental commission, CONATEL, every three months. If they fail to do this, they can be fined up to 1 million lempiras (equivalent to USD 42,533) or have their website or account blocked altogether.
The proposed law also envisions a Cybersecurity Commission, made up of institutions such as the Defense Ministry, the Supreme Court, the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank of Honduras along with a Consultative Counsel which include human rights experts, journalists, lawyers and university organizations.
Marcos Bertilio Paz, the congressman from the majority party who put forth the proposal, justifies his motion as a protection from disruptive hate campaigns. Although he claims that everyone “can share content and opinions like before,” many citizens and civil society groups question his motives.
The Honduran Journalist Association swiftly expressed concern about the law, arguing that it undermines democracy. The group also pointed out that proliferation of hate speech is already regulated by Honduran penal law.
Honduran citizens also have been tweeting their concerns about the proposed law:
@ONUHumanRights La #LeyBertilio quiere ocultar la corrupción e impunidad que solo se denuncia a través de las redes sociales ya que en #Honduras la prensa es tarifada
— NoMasCorrupción (@bPNM455BaytvQzq) February 7, 2018
@ONUHumanRights The #BertilioLaw wants to hide the corruption and impunity, which is only denounced through social media, because in Honduras, the press is bought
Con la #LeyBertilio estos comisonados de CONATEL decidiran sobre lo que publique l@s hondureñ@s en las redes sociales que es odio y que no lo es. Y no creo que les guste el #FueraJOH pic.twitter.com/UQ0RqwSDOG
— Enrique Reina (@EnriqueReinaHN) February 6, 2018
With the #BertilioLaw, these CONATEL officials will decide what is hate speech and what is not in Honduran social media. And I don't think that they like the #FueraJOH
On the other side of the spectrum, a minority of Twitter users explain that no ill intention is behind the proposal.
Hasta periodistas andan enredados en sus propia telaraña mental. NO ES REGULACIÓN A LAS REDES SOCIALES. Es regulación a campañas de odio y discriminación. Ojalá y se pongan a leer la iniciativa de Ley. #Honduras
— Méndez Montenegro  (@MarilynMendezM) February 5, 2018
Even journalists are tangled in their own mental spiderwebs. THIS IS NOT SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION. It's regulation of hate and discrimination campaigns. Hopefully you will start reading the law proposal. #Honduras
Others say that Honduran Congress’ legislative priorities are out of line, in light of recent allegations of corruption and relations with narco-traffickers in government ranks.
Since the recent handover of power, which unfolded under a heavy cloud of suspicion of rigged polls, more than 30 protesters have died in clashes with the militarized police. And intergovernmental bodies including the Organization of American States have also cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election results.
Many also believe that Honduran mainstream news is biased in favor of the government, making social media a logical target for the legislation.
El gobierno que pide paz, mientras oprime al pueblo… #FueraJOH #Honduras #ONU
Congreso a punto de decidir bloquear redes sociales en Honduras, es justo???? pic.twitter.com/bPAnIMuU7V
— Karli Andrade W (@karlirn) February 6, 2018
In the image: “When [mainstream] media remains silent, social media shouts. No to the ‘gag law’ against social media.” The government asks for peace while oppressing the people… #FueraJOH #Honduras #ONU
Congress is about to decide on blocking social media in Honduras, is that fair????
Los políticos en #Honduras le temen al poder de las redes sociales.
Yo le temo más a los medios de comunicación formales…
— Ismael Zepeda Galo (@ismaelzep) February 5, 2018
#Honduran politicians are afraid of social media's power. I'm more afraid of [mainstream] mass media…
As noted by International Central American Radio, social media provides a vital alternative for Hondurans to get their news and organize protests. Hashtags such as #FueraJOH (seen above, meaning “Down With Juan Orlando Hernandez”) have created strong momentum online and offline for citizens to show their discontent about the election results.
The recent news of Honduras’ government acquiring spyware from the UK further complicates the perception around these changes in the law. According to The Guardian, the UK sold telecommunications surveillance equipment to the Honduran government shortly before the explosion of protests that contested the results of the elections.
Some activists argue that this confluence of events and issues will effectively consolidate a dictatorship that has been on the horizon since the 2009 military coup. Recent years have witnessed a surge of violence against those who speak out and another new law, under Honduras’ penal code (Article 335 B), that restricts the freedom to demonstrate on national security grounds, creating legal grounds for authorities to accuse activists and demonstrators of threatening national security and even terrorism.
This change has created unique hurdles for environmental activists and indigenous land rights defenders and compounds the many perils activists face throughout the country. Since 2010, more than 120 activists have been killed in Honduras with relative impunity.
Ofraneh, a Honduran association defending ethnic minority Garifunas peoples‘ rights, has highlighted the implications of Article 335 B, and the fact that the article was introduced without due process. Despite efforts to repeal it, the Congress refused to make any changes.
According to Ofraneh, these reforms paved the way to the “gag law” being proposed today:
En Honduras la libertad de expresión se encuentra en permante peligro a partir del golpe estado 2009. El Artículo 335B introducido subrepticiamente por Oscar Álvarez nunca fue derogado dando apertura a Ley Mordaza promovida “nacionalistas” pic.twitter.com/X1NGe0cfPw
— ofraneh (@ofraneh) February 6, 2018
In Honduras, freedom of expression has been constantly at risk since the 2009 coup d'état. The article 335B introduced surreptitiously by Oscar Álvarez was never derogated, giving leeway to the Gag Law which is promoted by “nationalists”
The implications for land and environmental defenders, as well as human rights defenders are worrisome, given the context of vulnerability and the level of stigmatization of their causes and activities, that often includes protesting. As Ofraneh's tweet underlines, these laws set the path for stronger and more restrictive laws that can be translated to more limitations to freedom of speech and stronger backlash against dissidents.

author: Melissa Vida


text:
How Apple is Paving the Way to a ‘Cloud Dictatorship’ in China · Global Voices
Guest Contributor

Remixed image
This article was written by Lo, Shih-hung, professor in the College of Social Sciences at National Chung Cheng University. It was originally published in Chinese by the online magazine Up Media on 26 January. The translation is published on Global Voices with the permission of the writer and Up Media.
The US-based global tech giant Apple Inc. is set to hand over the operation of its iCloud data center in mainland China to a local corporation called Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD) by February 28, 2018. When this transition happens, the local company will become responsible for handling the legal and financial relationship between Apple and China's iCloud users. After the transition takes place, the role of Apple will restricted to an investment of US one billion dollars, for the construction of a data center in Guiyang, and for providing technical support to the center, in the interest of preserving data security.
GCBD was established in November 2014 with a RMB 235 million yuan [approximately US$ 37.5 million] registered capital investment. It is a state enterprise solely owned by Guizhou Big Data Development and Management Bureau. The company is also supervised by Guizhou Board of Supervisors of State-owned Enterprises.
What will happen to Apple's Chinese customers once iCloud services are handed over to GCBD? In public statements, Apple has avoided acknowledging the political implications of the move:
This will allow us to continue to improve the speed and reliability of iCloud in China and comply with Chinese regulations.
Apple Inc. has not explained the real issue, which is that a state-owned big data company controlled by the Chinese government will have access to all the data of its iCloud service users in China. This will allow the capricious state apparatus to jump into the cloud and look into the data of Apple’s Chinese users.
Apple Inc. has not explained the real issue, which is that a state-owned big data company controlled by the Chinese government will have access to all the data of its iCloud service users in China.
Over the next few weeks, iCloud users in China will receive a notification from Apple, seeking their endorsement of the new service terms. These “iCloud (operated by GCBD) terms and conditions” have a newly added paragraph, which reads:
If you understand and agree, Apple and GCBD have the right to access your data stored on its servers. This includes permission sharing, exchange, and disclosure of all user data (including content) according to the application of the law.
In other words, once the agreement is signed, GCBD — a company solely owned by the state — would get a key that can access all iCloud user data in China, legally.
Why would a company that built its reputation on data security surrender to the Chinese government so easily?
I still remember how in February 2016, after the attack in San Bernardino, Apple CEO Tim Cook withstood pressure from the US Department of Justice to build an iPhone operating system that could circumvent security features and install it in the iPhone of the shooter. Cook even issued an open letter to defend the company’s decision.
Apple’s insistence on protecting user data won broad public support. At the same time, it was criticized by the Department of Justice, which retorted that the open letter “appears to be based on its concern for its business model and public brand marketing strategy.”
This comment has proven true today, because it is clear that the company is operating on a double standard in its Chinese business. We could even say that it is bullying the good actor while being terrified by the bad one.
Apple Inc. and Tim Cook, who had once stayed firm against the US government, suddenly have become soft in front of Chinese government. Faced with the unreasonable demand put forward by the Chinese authorities, Apple has not demonstrated a will to resist. On the contrary, it is giving people the impression that it will do whatever needed to please the authorities.
Near the end of 2017, Apple lnc. admitted it had removed 674 VPN apps from Chinese App Store. These apps are often used by netizens for circumventing the Great Firewall (blocking of overseas websites and content). Skype also vanished from the Chinese App Store. And Apple’s submission to the Chinese authorities’ requests generated a feeling of “betrayal” among Chinese users.
Some of my friends from mainland China have even decided to give up using Apple mobile phones and shifted to other mainland Chinese brands. Their decision, in addition to the price, is mainly in reaction to Apple’s decision to take down VPN apps from the Chinese Apple store.
Some of these VPN apps can still be downloaded from mobile phones that use the Android system. This indicates that Apple is not “forced” to comply. People suspect that it is proactively performing a “obedient” role.
The handover of China iCloud to GCBD is unquestionably a performance of submission and kowtow. Online, several people have quipped: “the Chinese government is asking for 50 cents, Apple gives her a dollar.”
Apple says the handover is due to new regulations that cloud servers must be operated by local corporation. But this is unconvincing. China's Cybersecurity Law, which was implemented on June 1 2017, does demand that user information and data collected in mainland China be stored within the border. But it does not require that the data center be operated by a local corporation.
In other words, even according to Article 37 of the Cybersecurity Law, Apple does not need to hand over the operation of iCloud services to a local corporation, to say nothing of the fact that the operator is solely owned by the state. Though Apple may have to follow the “Chinese logic” or “unspoken rule”, the decision looks more like a strategic act, intended to insulate Apple from financial, legal and moral responsibility to their Chinese users, as stated in the new customer terms and conditions on the handover of operation. It only wants to continue making a profit by selling iPhone in China.
Many people have encountered similar difficulties when doing business in China — they have to follow the authorities’ demands. Some even think that it is inevitable and therefore reasonable. For example, Baidu’s CEO Robin Li said in a recent interview with Time Magazine, “That’s our way of doing business here”.
I can see where Apple is coming from. China is now the third largest market for the iPhone. While confronting vicious competition from local brands, the future growth of iPhone in China has been threatened. And unlike in the US, if Apple does not submit to China and comply with the Cybersecurity Law, the Chinese authorities can use other regulations and laws like the Encryption Law of the People’s Republic of China (drafting) and Measures for Security Assessment of Cross-border Data Transfer (drafting) to force Apple to yield.
However, as the world's biggest corporation in market value which has so many loyal fans, Apple’s performance in China is still disappointing. It has not even tried to resist. On the contrary, it has proactively assisted [Chinese authorities] in selling out its users’ private data.
This is perhaps the best result that China’s party-state apparatus could hope for. In recent years, China has come to see big data as a strategic resource for its diplomacy and for maintaining domestic stability. Big data is as important as military strength and ideological control. There is even a new political term “Data-in-Party-control” coming into use.
As an Apple fans, I lament the fact that Apple has become a key multinational corporation offering its support to the Chinese Communist Party’s engineering of a “Cloud Dictatorship”. It serves as a very bad role model: Now Apple that has kowtowed to the CCP, how long will other tech companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon be able to resist the pressure?

author: Guest Contributor