The Internet
Facebook and Google outline unprecedented mass censorship at US Senate hearing
By Andre Damon, 18 January 2018
Facebook is planning to double its army of censors to nearly 20,000 people by the end of this year, a company official told lawmakers Thursday.
Statement to the World Socialist Web Site webinar
Julian Assange calls effort of corporations to control Internet discourse “an existential threat to humanity”
18 January 2018
This statement was sent by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the January 16 webinar, “Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship.”
World Socialist Web Site calls for coalition of socialist and anti-war websites to counter Internet censorship
By Niles Niemuth, 18 January 2018
The WSWS hosted a livestreamed discussion between David North and Chris Hedges that reviewed the political context of the efforts to censor the Internet and the necessary steps for an effective fight-back.
Trump administration escalates attack on data encryption
By Will Morrow, 17 January 2018
In a sign that the White House is moving to criminalize encryption, deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein argued that “warrant-proof” files are unconstitutional.
Statement by Julian Assange opposing Internet censorship will be read at WSWS “Organizing Resistance” Webinar
16 January 2018
The webinar featuring David North and Chris Hedges will be broadcast live on January 16 at 7:00 pm EST.
Facebook blocks sharing of WSWS anti-censorship video
By Eric London, 15 January 2018
The social media giant has blocked users from sharing a video promoting the January 16 online meeting “Organizing resistance to Internet censorship.”
Research teams confirm “Meltdown” and “Spectre” attacks
Computer systems worldwide exposed to data theft due to CPU design flaws
By Mike Ingram, 12 January 2018
Major design flaws in computer processors allow access to the entire physical memory of computers containing sensitive information such as passwords.
Freedom for Julian Assange!
By Bill Van Auken, 11 January 2018
The “untenable” conditions under which the WikiLeaks founder remains confined are the product of an unrelenting drive by the US and British governments to punish him for exposing the crimes of imperialism.
“The matter is urgent; voices must be raised!”
Documentarian John Pilger issues statement of support for January 16 webinar, “Organizing resistance to Internet censorship”
11 January 2018
This statement was sent by the award-winning journalist and documentarian in support of the online discussion featuring Chris Hedges and David North.
Facebook deleted accounts at the behest of US, Israeli and German governments
By Niles Niemuth, 4 January 2018
The social media company has deleted the accounts of Palestinian activists. journalists and the former leader of Chechnya in a campaign of international political censorship.
Germany’s “Network Enforcement Law” goes into effect: A move to censor the Internet
By Johannes Stern, 4 January 2018
The new law is part of an international offensive to attack free speech online, aimed at suppressing left-wing and socialist views.
Polls shows mass opposition to net neutrality repeal
By Kevin Reed, 21 December 2017
In the week since the FCC vote to end net neutrality, the nature of the attack on the public and the democratic right to a free and open internet is becoming clearer.
The end of net neutrality and the fight to defend the free internet
By Andre Damon, 15 December 2017
Thursday’s move by the US government to end net neutrality seeks to usher in an age when corporations and the government decide what people can and cannot access online.
Google hiring 10,000 reviewers to censor YouTube content
By Zaida Green, 8 December 2017
The video-sharing platform has already removed over 150,000 videos, with 50 percent of videos removed within two hours of upload.
Behind the FCC plan to abolish net neutrality
Broadband monopolies to censor Internet content
By Kevin Reed, 5 December 2017
The FCC plan to repeal previous net neutrality standards enables the ISP monopolies to further their business interests while enabling censorship at a fundamental level of Internet infrastructure.
FCC plan to repeal “net neutrality” gives telecom giants control of public access to Internet
By Kevin Reed, 23 November 2017
The anti-democratic plan to deregulate the US Internet infrastructure will enable privately-owned US broadband providers to control public access to online content.
Google’s Eric Schmidt admits political censorship of search results
By Niles Niemuth, 22 November 2017
Remarks by the executive chairman of Google’s parent company about efforts to “de-rank” news sites critical of the US government expose the corporate-government conspiracy to block oppositional voices on the Internet.
The Democrats’ McCarthyite witch hunt
By Andre Damon, 3 November 2017
This week’s congressional hearings on “extremist content” mark a new stage in the campaign by congressional Democrats, working with the intelligence agencies and leading media outlets, to legitimize censorship and criminalize dissent.
US Congressional hearing:
Former FBI agent says tech companies must “silence” sources of “rebellion”
By Andre Damon, 1 November 2017
Advocating stepped-up censorship of the Internet, Clint Watts, a former US Army officer and FBI agent, declared, “Civil wars don’t start with gunshots, they start with words.”
US congressional hearings on “extremist content” prepare assault on free speech
By Andre Damon, 31 October 2017
This week, US tech companies will report to Congress on their moves to limit “extremist content” on the Internet as part of the anti-Russian witch hunt, which is increasingly targeting the First Amendment.
Google escalates blacklisting of left-wing web sites and journalists
By Andre Damon, 20 October 2017
In a sweeping expansion of its moves to censor the Internet, Google has blacklisted leading left-wing websites and journalists from its news aggregation platform.
The conspiracy to censor the Internet
By Andre Damon and Joseph Kishore, 18 October 2017
US intelligence agencies, media outlets and Democratic Party operatives are turning the witch-hunt against Russia into the justification for a far-reaching attack on free speech.
The New York Times and the criminalization of dissent
By Joseph Kishore, 11 October 2017
The unsubstantiated charges of Russian interference in the US elections have developed into an increasingly frenzied campaign to ascribe all opposition within the United States to the actions of a “foreign enemy.”
British government prepares further draconian legislation to censor Internet
By Steve James, 10 October 2017
Rudd’s initial focus is on clamping down on opposition to British imperialism’s predatory wars in the Middle East, but this will inevitably be extended to cover all anti-war sentiment and commentary.
Germany’s Network Enforcement Act: Legal framework for censorship of the Internet
By Katerina Selin, 5 October 2017
The assumption behind the law, which took effect October 1, is that companies will delete controversial posts rather than risk severe financial penalties.
The New York Times reports World Socialist Web Site charge of Google censorship and blacklisting
By Andre Damon, 2 October 2017
The Times’ article is the first detailed report in the US mainstream media of Google’s manipulation of searches to bar access to left-wing sites.
US Justice Department demands Facebook turn over information on anti-administration activists
By Trévon Austin, 30 September 2017
Private account information on thousands of Facebook users could be handed over to the government as a result of the warrants.
US Department of Homeland Security to track all immigrants’ social media accounts
By Jake Dean, 29 September 2017
The DHS’s invasive surveillance and data gathering operation will cover all immigrants, including green card holders and naturalized citizens.
Facebook turns over information on Russia-linked accounts to Special Counsel Mueller
By Patrick Martin, 19 September 2017
The investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election and Trump campaign collusion is being used to justify a crackdown on the Internet.
Google intensifies censorship of left-wing websites
By Andre Damon, 19 September 2017
New statistics expose the growing impact of Google’s attack on free speech.
Anger mounts over consumer credit data hack
What is Equifax and why does it have personal information on half the American population?
By Kevin Reed, 15 September 2017
Credit ratings agencies serve a critical function for the financial elite, collecting information on every individual to determine a “credit score,” used to extract as much money as possible from the working class.
New York Times stokes anti-Russia campaign to promote Facebook, Twitter censorship
By Bill Van Auken, 12 September 2017
Invoking an alleged Russian menace to American democracy, the New York Times is spearheading a campaign for a crackdown on political expression on social media.
Personal data of 143 million US consumers compromised in massive Equifax server hack
By Kevin Reed, 11 September 2017
The $18 billion corporation had its servers hacked, covered up the breach for two-and-a-half months, and still claims to not know what happened.
Forbes writer says Google censored report on manipulation of search traffic
By Andre Damon, 8 September 2017
Journalist Kashmir Hill faced a backlash from the tech giant after she reported that Google threatened to demote search results for sites that did not link to its ill-fated social media network.
Antimonopoly researchers say Google CEO pressured leading think tank to fire them
By Andre Damon, 2 September 2017
The researchers, who had criticized Google, said in a statement that the tech giant is “trying to censor journalists and researchers who fight dangerous monopolies.”
DreamHost ordered to hand over data on anti-Trump website: The criminalization of political dissent
By Joseph Kishore, 26 August 2017
The court decision that DreamHost must turn over information on the individuals associated with disruptj20.org is a chilling assault on free speech.
German government raids and shuts down left-wing Indymedia site
By Johannes Stern, 26 August 2017
The shutdown of linksunten.indymedia.org is the latest step in a crackdown on left-wing politics in Germany ahead of the upcoming federal election.
Internet censorship goes beyond Google
Facebook, Youtube, other tech giants launch joint, state-backed censorship programs
By Zac Corrigan, 24 August 2017
Google's fake search results are the spearhead of a much wider campaign by an entire fraternity of state-aligned tech giants to censor political speech on the Internet.
More than two thousand sign petition to stop Google censorship
By Zac Corrigan, 22 August 2017
The number of signatures jumped over the weekend, after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange tweeted a link to the WSWS’s exposure of Google’s actions.
Trump administration demands Internet records on 1.3 million political opponents
By Don Barrett and Niles Niemuth, 17 August 2017
The Justice Department has filed a warrant demanding emails, visitor logs, contact information and photographs relating to the website that coordinated protests at the January 20 presidential inauguration.
Facebook establishes new censorship centre in Germany
By Christoph Vandreier, 11 August 2017
In the autumn, Internet company Facebook will open a new censorship centre employing 500 people in Essen, Germany.
The hacking of HBO and the “Russian meddling” campaign
By Barry Grey, 10 August 2017
The massive hack of HBO is but the latest case demonstrating the proliferation of hacker groups all over the world that employ advanced technology to successfully attack giant corporations.
Apple, Amazon help Chinese government censor the Internet
By Josh Varlin, 5 August 2017
The Chinese government has launched a crackdown on virtual private networks (VPNs), which allow Internet users to circumvent state censorship.
Google blocked every one of the WSWS’s 45 top search terms
By Andre Damon, 4 August 2017
Google has blacklisted the World Socialist Web Site from the 45 most popular search terms that previously brought people to it, according to a new review of data.
RT interviews Andre Damon: Google becoming “censorship engine”
1 August 2017
World Socialist Web Site reporter Andre Damon spoke to RT America about Google’s censorship of left-wing, progressive, and anti-war web sites.
Google’s chief search engineer legitimizes new censorship algorithm
By Andre Damon, 31 July 2017
Using the fraudulent pretext of blocking access to “fake news,” Google has implemented a vastly expanded program of Internet censorship.
Does the WSWS write about Leon Trotsky? Not according to Google
By Joseph Kishore, 29 July 2017
Searching Google for “Who is Leon Trotsky” will not lead web users to articles published by the most widely read Trotskyist site on the internet.
Google rigs searches to block access to World Socialist Web Site
By the WSWS Editorial Board, 28 July 2017
Statistical analysis proves that Google is excluding WSWS content from search requests.
New Google algorithm restricts access to left-wing, progressive web sites
By Andre Damon and Niles Niemuth, 27 July 2017
In the three months since Internet monopoly Google announced plans to keep users from accessing “fake news,” the traffic rankings of a broad range of left-wing, progressive, anti-war and democratic rights organizations have fallen significantly.
Petya ransomware attack shuts down computers in 65 countries
By Kevin Reed, 29 June 2017
In the second massive cyberattack in 44 days, both originating from malicious software developed by the NSA, personal computers in at least 65 countries were shut down Tuesday.
The global ransomware attack and the crimes of the US spy agencies
By Andre Damon, 16 May 2017
The cyberweapons created by the NSA are aimed not only against the geopolitical targets of US imperialism, but the populations of the United States and the entire world.
Trump’s FCC chairman issues plan to overturn 2015 “net neutrality” rules
By Kevin Reed, 29 April 2017
Net neutrality is the principle that the transmission of data over the Internet must be treated equally, without regard to content, purpose or originating source.
Germany activates new cyber warfare unit
By Johannes Stern, 8 April 2017
Germany is seeking to take the lead internationally in the field of cyber warfare and thereby position itself “for the warfare of the future.”
US House votes to repeal internet protections
Trump expected to sign anti-privacy measure into law
By Kevin Reed, 1 April 2017
Congress has decided that internet providers own the information that consumers provide when they use the internet to shop, browse or message.
Senate votes to repeal FCC internet privacy regulations
By Bryan Dyne, 27 March 2017
If signed into law, the new legislation would give the American intelligence agencies access to even greater means for spying on the population.
Facebook’s “fake news” measures: A move toward censorship
By George Gallanis, 17 December 2016
Facebook will begin validating articles posted on the social media platform through third party agencies, dominated by the establishment media and institutions affiliated with the state.
Massive cyberattack shuts down large sections of the Internet
By Kevin Reed, 22 October 2016
The assault was very large in scale and sophisticated in coordination.
Samsung abruptly drops Galaxy Note 7 smartphone due to dangerous overheating
By Kevin Reed, 14 October 2016
After scores of reports in the US alone, including a forced evacuation of an airliner, the company finally responded.
Werner Herzog’s Lo and Behold: Reveries of The Connected World
Exploring the origins and impact of the Internet
By Kevin Reed, 8 October 2016
The movie examines the origins and implications of the Internet and related technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things and space travel.
Yahoo reports 500 million user accounts were hacked in 2014
By Kevin Reed, 24 September 2016
Although Yahoo’s assertion that the breach was the work of a state-sponsored hacker has been repeated widely in news reports, no facts have been presented to substantiate the claim.
Sexual assault accusations used to oust leader at Tor Project
By Adam Mclean, 19 August 2016
The Tor Project, a network and tool for anonymizing one’s internet traffic, has been a repeated target of attacks from US intelligence agencies.
Twenty five years of the World Wide Web
By Bryan Dyne, 8 January 2016
The first successful connection between two computers over the Internet using the World Wide Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee twenty five years ago.
Obama declares “national emergency” based on alleged cyber threats from Russia, China
By Thomas Gaist, 3 April 2015
In an online statement, Obama made clear that the new powers granted in his latest executive order will be used to target America’s main geopolitical rivals.
FCC ruling sides with tech companies on “net neutrality”
By Mike Ingram, 6 March 2015
The decision of the FCC to reclassify broadband providers as a “telecommunications service” favors one set of corporate giants over another.
Obama administration pushes cybersecurity law to expand corporate-government collaboration
By Ed Hightower, 15 January 2015
The intelligence sharing legislation would give legal immunity to corporations that grant the US government direct access to their data.
Sony hacking allegations used to push antidemocratic “cybersecurity” laws
By Tom Carter, 10 January 2015
Efforts are underway within the US government to exploit hacking allegations against North Korea in order to ram through legislation that will further expand domestic surveillance.
US escalates campaign against North Korea
By Patrick Martin, 20 December 2014
An FBI declaration and a White House press conference ratcheted up the pressure on the isolated Stalinist dictatorship, which now faces unspecified US retaliation for an alleged hacking attack on Sony Pictures.
US stokes conflict with North Korea over Sony hacking
By Patrick Martin, 19 December 2014
Obama administration officials described the hacking as a “serious national security matter” that warranted a “proportionate response” by the US government.
Cameron announces plans to remove British passports from suspected terrorists
By Julie Hyland, 18 November 2014
The home secretary will have the power to cancel passports and impose a “temporary exclusion” order for two years.
AT&T; and Verizon use “supercookies” to track users’ online activities
By Thomas Gaist, 7 November 2014
The leading mobile phone companies use so-called “supercookies” to secretly record day-to-day Internet usage by at least 100 million customers
The Internet’s Own Boy: Documentary about “hacktivist” Aaron Swartz
By Nick Barrickman, 1 July 2014
The film documents the life of Aaron Swartz, the open Internet activist and web technology prodigy who committed suicide after being hounded by the US government.
Decision by US federal agency opens way to two-tier Internet
By Mike Ingram, 19 May 2014
The Federal Communications Commission has voted to accept proposals that will allow broadband companies to charge content providers for access to their networks, in a move that opens the way for a two-tier Internet.
New proposed Internet rules would strengthen corporate control, end “net neutrality”
By Gabriel Black, 25 April 2014
The US Federal Communications Commission has proposed a new set of rules allowing companies to pay money in order for their content to be quickly delivered to users.
NSA exploited Heartbleed bug
By Joseph Santolan, 14 April 2014
Both the White House National Security Council (NSC) and the NSA issued categorical denials that they had any awareness of the existence of the Heartbleed bug prior to its public disclosure on April 7.
Heartbleed security bug compromises vast portion of Internet traffic
By Joseph Santolan, 11 April 2014
Whether Heartbleed originated as a mistake or was deliberately planted by the National Security Agency, it is a near certainty that the NSA has been using it for the past two years.
Netflix to pay Comcast to prioritize content
By Gabriel Black, 28 February 2014
In a deal announced last Sunday, Netflix will pay Comcast to ensure that its content gets sent to customers faster than that from other services.
Reddit forum blacklists WSWS
By the WSWS Editorial Board, 11 February 2014
In a blatant act of political censorship, the moderators of the r/socialism forum on the popular link aggregating site Reddit have decided to “blacklist” the World Socialist Web Site for a period of one month.
Tech company “transparency reports” reveal massive NSA spying
By Thomas Gaist, 5 February 2014
The data, which cover only a small portion of surveillance operations, show the NSA requested content from tens of thousands of accounts during the first half of 2013.
US appeals court strikes down “net neutrality” rules
By Thomas Gaist, 16 January 2014
The Open Internet regulations prohibited the selective blocking of slowing of legal Internet content by Internet providers.
UK government moves to clamp down on Internet, citing child pornography
By Julie Hyland, 25 November 2013
Google is planning to target 100,000 search terms, with restrictions applying first in English-speaking countries and then expanded to all other languages over the next six months.
Facebook releases report on requests from governments for information on users
By Don Knowland, 30 August 2013
Facebook has issued a report showing tens of thousands of requests from governments around the world for information on Facebook users
British government introduces Internet censorship filters
By Mark Blackwood, 7 August 2013
Under the fraudulent pretext of protecting children, the British government is introducing censorship of the Internet.
Partner of deceased Internet activist Aaron Swartz denounces US attorney general
By Kevin Reed, 15 March 2013
The tragic death of Aaron Swartz, a gifted and courageous technology pioneer and critic of the profit system, was a product of the Obama administration’s assault on democratic rights.
US officials announce formation of offensive cyber war units
By Alex Lantier, 14 March 2013
US intelligence officials announced Tuesday that Washington is setting up military units to write destructive computer code to attack other countries.
US attorney downplays vendetta against Internet pioneer Aaron Swartz
By Eric London, 21 January 2013
The US attorney whose office led the prosecution against Internet activist Aaron Swartz has issued the government’s first official response to the young man’s suicide.
Father of Aaron Swartz indicts US government for son’s suicide
By our reporters, 16 January 2013
At a funeral attended by friends and family Tuesday, the father of Internet activist Aaron Swartz said that his son was “killed by the government.”
Chinese government imposes new Internet censorship law
By Will Morrow, 7 January 2013
The main purpose is to stifle online political discussion and the use of social media to organise protests.
US walks out of World Conference on Information Technology
Global split over telecom treaty
By Kevin Reed, 28 December 2012
The breakdown of talks at the IT summit signals intensified national conflicts in an increasingly interdependent world.
New Zealand: New evidence about US operation to shut down Megaupload
By John Braddock, 7 July 2012
White House logs demonstrate that meetings took place between Hollywood studio executives and US Vice President Joe Biden six months before the raids on Megaupload.
Facebook IPO falls flat
By Andre Damon, 19 May 2012
Facebook, the social networking platform, made its initial public offering on Friday in the largest technology IPO in US history. High sell volume after the opening prompted the offering's underwriters to buy up stocks to shore up the price.
US government prepares new attacks on Internet privacy
By Marcus Day, 17 May 2012
Over the past month, the US government has ramped up its efforts to create a legal basis for the surveillance of Internet and electronic communication.
Tens of thousands in Germany protest against ACTA’s attack on the Internet
By Johannes Stern, 15 February 2012
Last Saturday, tens of thousands took to the streets in about 60 German cities to protest against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which threatens the Internet with increased surveillance and democratic rights in general.
Mother of Richard O’Dwyer: “America is trying to control and police the Internet”
By our reporters, 7 February 2012
An interview with Julia O’Dwyer, whose son Richard, a 23-year-old computer science student at Sheffield Hallam University, faces extradition to the US on copyright infringement charges.
New Zealand judge defers bail decision on Megaupload arrests
By John Braddock, 24 January 2012
As part of a global campaign by the US government, the Megaupload associates face extradition proceedings on copyright charges.
US government shuts down file-sharing site MegaUpload
By Patrick Zimmerman, 20 January 2012
Operating at the behest of the major media conglomerates, the US government moved against one of the most popular file-sharing Internet sites, seizing millions of dollars in assets and arresting four people.
SOPA, PIPA and the freedom of the Internet
By Andre Damon, 19 January 2012
Millions of people signed online petitions Wednesday against internet censorship bills being discussed in the US Congress.
Wikipedia shuts down to protest censorship bills
By Andre Damon, 18 January 2012
Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, and other sites are shutting down for 24 hours today to protest internet censorship bills currently being considered by the US Congress.
Congress seeks legal framework for Internet censorship
By Mike Ingram, 28 December 2011
Two bills aimed at establishing a legal framework for government and corporate censorship of the Internet are expected to be discussed in January when Congress returns from its winter break.
US government targets open access activist
By Patrick Zimmerman, 5 August 2011
Aaron Swartz, a researcher at Harvard is being pursued by government authorities for alleged wire fraud.
US Internet service providers join big media in copyright crackdown
By James Brewer, 13 July 2011
The formation of a consortium of the big media companies and ISPs working together to enforce a new “copyright alert system” was announced last week.
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