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European Court rules UK surveillance program violated human rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is the latest to deem the UK government's mass surveillance program unlawful. Judges ruled the "bulk interception regime" violated the right to privacy and freedom of expression. It said there was "insufficient oversight" over what communications UK agencies were collecting and also noted that there were "inadequate" safeguards for the protection of confidential journalistic sources.
Malaysia is one step closer to outlawing fake news
Last week, the Malaysian government proposed a law that would criminalize the spread of fake news and today, the country's parliament pushed the bill one step closer to enaction. The lower house of parliament voted to approve the bill today and it now heads to the senate for debate. The bill is wildly controversial and many believe it's just the government's latest attempt to stifle reports that Prime Minister Najib Razak mishandled billions of dollars held in a state investment fund. The prime minister is currently up for reelection, the vote for which has to take place by August.
Malaysia proposes law that would make spreading fake news illegal
The Malaysian government has proposed a law that would criminalize the spread of fake news, and those found to be in violation could face up to 10 years in prison and a 500,000 ringgit (approximately $128,165) fine, the Wall Street Journal reports. The proposed law says, "'Fake news' includes any news, information, data and reports, which is or are wholly or partly false, whether in the form of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words or ideas." And it would also apply to publications outside of Malaysia if the country or its citizens are affected by the reports.
Report: Twitter violates human rights by failing to protect women
Amnesty International's latest report discusses what a lot of Twitter's female users already know: the social network is toxic for women. The non-government organization says the platform fails to respect women's rights by not "investigating and responding to reports of violence and abuse in a transparent manner." By being inconsistent in the enforcement of policies and by failing to clarify what is and isn't acceptable on the platform, it's fostering a hostile environment. That forces women to self-censor and even to stay silent due to fear of receiving abusive messages, including rape and death threats. According to Amnesty, that makes the problem a human rights issue.
ACLU and Amnesty International ask Obama to pardon Snowden
The American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International, two of the highest-profile human rights organizations in the United States, are calling for President Obama to grant clemency to Edward Snowden. The "Pardon Snowden" campaign kicks off today with a petition to "let President Obama know that the American people stand with Snowden." It's seeking 60,000 signatures and is hosted by the ACLU, which has signed on as Snowden's legal adviser.
AdBlock replacing ads with anti-censorship messages tomorrow
We've seen Malaysia ban access to Medium and Russia do the same for Wikipedia, so if you thought Amnesty International would sit on the sidelines for World Day Against Cyber Censorship this year, you're sorely mistaken. On March 12th, the human rights organization is teaming with AdBlock to replace online ads with messages from artist Ai Weiwei, Edward Snowden and Russian punk rockers Pussy Riot -- themselves all victims of overzealous government censorship.
Apple, Samsung and Sony linked to child labor in Africa
A new report from Amnesty International claims that some of the world's biggest technology and automotive companies are failing to check whether cobalt mined by children is being used in their products. Its joint investigation with African Resources Watch (Afrewatch) suggests that Apple, Huawei, Lenovo, Microsoft, Samsung and Sony are linked to the sale of cobalt used in lithium batteries in smartphones, notebooks and tablets, from mines in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where children as young as seven are put to work.
The UK admits to spying on Amnesty International
In June, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) ruled that the UK government had illegally spied on two international civil rights groups: the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and the Legal Resources Centre in South Africa. But there was a mix up -- the IPT has now admitted it was Amnesty International, not EIPR, that was subjected to unlawful surveillance. The human rights group was notified via email and has branded the interceptions as outrageous. "How can we be expected to carry out our crucial work around the world if human rights defenders and victims of abuses can now credibly believe their confidential correspondence with us is likely to end up in the hands of the governments?" Salil Shetty, secretary general for Amnesty International said.
Amnesty International releases iOS game to raise money and awareness for human rights
Bulletproof is a new game that's out on the App Store right now. The premise is interesting and a little macabre, as you're tasked with stopping bullets from a firing squad by touching in the right places on screen. I like it, actually. The action starts slow and eventually becomes pretty frantic. The simple, but effective, graphics keep you on your toes (or fingers, as the case may be). But the most interesting thing about this app is the story behind it. It was actually commissioned by Amnesty International from developers Mobigame, and it's being sold to raise awareness of human rights violations from around the world. All proceeds from Bulletproof are going to Amnesty International (minus, presumably, Apple's standard 30 percent cut), and the game itself is a pretty effective way of getting the message across. This isn't the only instance of charity organizations looking to video games to raise money for their cause. OneBigGame has been doing just that on iOS and other platforms. But this is a solid cause and a solid app as well.
