Protests
Latest
Bangladesh is experiencing a ‘near-total’ internet shutdown amid student protests
The unrest is centered around the country’s quota system that requires a third of government jobs to be reserved for relatives of veterans who had fought for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Pranav Dixit07.18.2024
Protests break out at a major iPhone factory in China
Foxconn's largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China has been hit by worker protests including violent confrontations with supervisors and police.
Steve Dent11.23.2022
Amazon permanently allows workers to carry phones following warehouse collapse
Amazon will permanently allow warehouse employees to keep their cell phones with them at work after temporarily allowing them during the pandemic.
Steve Dent04.28.2022
Cuba blocks access to Facebook and Telegram in response to protests
As protests continue in Cuba over the country’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the surrounding economic fallout, the Cuban government has moved to restrict access to social media and messaging platforms.
Igor Bonifacic07.13.2021
Myanmar shuts down internet to stifle anti-coup protests
Myanmar has shut down much of its internet access to curb anti-coup protests, and services like Instagram and Twitter have been blocked.
Jon Fingas02.06.2021
FBI sent a team to 'exploit' Portland protesters' phones
The FBI sent a team to Portland with the aim of exploiting protesters' phones.
Jon Fingas10.10.2020
Facebook users reported Wisconsin militia group before protest shooting
Facebook users reported an event organized by a militia group in Kenosha, Wisconsin and were told it didn't break the company's rules.
Karissa Bell08.26.2020
Facebook takes down militia group that organized armed response to protests
Facebook has removed the page for a Wisconsin militia group after it organized a “call to arms” event.
Karissa Bell08.26.2020
Belarus is reportedly blocking and throttling Twitter in reaction to protests
Twitter has acknowledged that it is being blocked and throttled in Belarus, likely due to protests contesting the legitimacy of recent election results.
Nicole Lee08.10.2020
Demographic report on protests shows how much info our phones give away
Data analytics company Mobilewalla released a report detailing the race, age and gender breakdowns of individuals who participated in protests in select cities during the weekend of May 29th.
Christine Fisher06.25.2020
Online and independent: The future of journalism is already here
A new generation of independent, internet-based journalists are bringing the voice of the people to the ears of the American public, all without paywalls.
Andrew Tarantola06.18.2020
How to protect your identity while protesting police brutality
As protests around the country against police brutality continue to expand, law enforcement's reaction grows ever more heavy-handed. Here are some ways to protect yourself and your identity.
Andrew Tarantola06.05.2020
Activision temporarily pauses new 'Call of Duty' seasons
The new seasons of 'Call of Duty' have been postponed for now.
Rachel England06.02.2020
Streaming services join music industry 'blackout' over death of George Floyd
The music industry is planning to stage a “blackout day” today in support of protests around the alleged murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Steve Dent06.02.2020
Amazon employees say they were threatened for climate change criticism
Two Amazon employees who spoke out against the company's environmental policies say they were threatened with termination if they continue to violate the company's external communications policy, The Washington Post reports.
Christine Fisher01.02.2020
Tim Cook defends Apple’s decision to remove Hong Kong protest app
Less than a day after Apple sparked controversy by removing a Hong Kong protest app, CEO Tim Cook has defended the decision. Apple removed the HKmap.live app after China Daily -- owned by the Communist Party of China -- criticized the company for listing it in the App Store. In an internal letter, Cook wrote, "we believe this decision best protects our users."
Christine Fisher10.10.2019
Facebook pulls propaganda accounts demonizing Hong Kong protesters
It's not just Twitter cracking down on attempts to undermine Hong Kong protesters through social networks. Facebook has pulled seven Pages, five accounts and three Groups allegedly involved in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" meant to blast Hong Kong demonstrators, including the use of fake accounts The move came after Twitter shared info of suspicious activity, prompting an investigation. The perpetrators routinely made dubious claims about street marchers, likening them to terrorists and even "cockroaches."
Jon Fingas08.19.2019
Twitter is displaying China-made ads attacking Hong Kong protesters
Twitter is finding itself at the heart of a heated political battle. Pinboard and other users have observed Twitter running ads from China's state-backed media outlet Xinhua attacking the Hong Kong protesters opposed to both a (since-suspended) extradition bill and broader dissatisfaction with the government. The ads try to portray the protests as "escalating violence" and calls for "order to be restored." Other ads have highlighted alleged supporters of the Chinese "motherland" and have pointed out Hong Kong's economic troubles from earlier in the year.
Jon Fingas08.18.2019
Russia demands Google stop advertising 'illegal' protests on YouTube
Russia is intensifying its pressure on Google to censor political dissent in the country. Media overseer Roskomnadzor has sent a letter to Google insisting that it stop promoting "illegal mass events" on YouTube. It didn't like that YouTube channels were using push notifications and other measures to spread information about protests, such as the recent demonstrations objecting to Moscow banning some opposition politicians from running in upcoming elections. Some users are allegedly receiving these alerts even if they're not subscribed to the channels.
Jon Fingas08.11.2019
AI could predict violent protests through Twitter analysis
Twitter has long been a cornerstone for organizing protests, but once demonstrators hit the streets, there's always a possibility that violence can erupt between activists and authorities. To help cut down on such battles, researchers from the University of Southern California's Brain and Creativity Institute are using artificial intelligence to try and predict when protests will turn violent.
Kris Holt05.29.2018