Category Free Speech

Twitter permanently bans U.S. President Donald Trump

In the aftermath of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump white nationalists, far-right extremists, white supremacists, QAnon adherents, and ordinary Americans, Twitter permanently banned outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce “the risk of further incitement of violence”.

Obert Madondo
January 10, 2021

Government surveillance erodes “our dignity and the things that make us human,” says Edward Snowden

National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden urges us to continue defending our digital rights in the face of burgeoning digital authoritarianism at home and beyond, because mass government surveillance "robs us of private space, eroding our dignity and the things that make us human."

Obert Madondo
December 31, 2020

Taking a stand against white supremacy, popular knitting site Ravelry bans content supporting Trump

Ravelry, a free social networking service dedicated to knitting, crocheting, and other yarn crafts, recently made a strong public stance against white supremacy in the form of a policy banning content in support of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration.

Obert Madondo
July 1, 2019

Bell-led FairPlay Canada “proposal would weaken Canada’s economy”, says Internet infrastructure coalition

A global coalition of Internet infrastructure companies opposes the Bell Canada-led FairPlay Canada plan to block websites on the ground that the plan, which "lacks accountability and oversight", would weaken both the Canadian economy and our Internet leadership globally.

Obert Madondo
March 29, 2018

Edward Snowden creates Haven, a security app for journalists and human rights defenders

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and his team at the Freedom of the Press Foundation have created Haven, a free and open source personal security system for journalists and human rights defenders. The app transforms your cheap second Android phone into a device capable of capturing and reporting intrusions to your physical space and possessions.

Obert Madondo
December 23, 2017

Anti-semitism, racism and other old white supremacist prejudices die hard

Anti-semitism, racism and other prejudices are on the rise in most established democracies. Still, silencing white supremacists on the Internet is counterproductive. It would only lead to more senseless acts violence similar to those perpetrated by Anders Breivik and Rhodesia-inspired Dylann Roof.

Obert Madondo
October 25, 2017

How activists of color lose battles against Facebook’s moderator army

While Facebook professes a commitment to stopping hate, harassment and discrimination, the social media behemoth's reporting policies and human moderators often punish users of color who speak out against racism or justifiably criticize white people.

The Canadian Progressive
October 6, 2017

Silencing white supremacists on the Internet breeds more racist violence

Silencing white supremacists on the Internet would only lead to white feelings of persecution, paranoia, white genocide conspiracy theories and acts violence similar to those recently perpetrated by Anders Breivik and Rhodesia-inspired Dylann Roof.

The Canadian Progressive
September 2, 2017