Organisations that help communities build and manage their own low-cost, open-source communications infrastructure are celebrating a landmark victory: exemption from radio spectrum fees.
Welcome to the 32sd monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks.
On Wednesday 13 January 2021, the eve of Uganda’s general elections, Uganda’s communications regulator UCC ordered telecoms operators and internet service providers in the country to suspend all internet gateways until further notice.
Connecting the Unconnected: Supporting community networks and other community-based connectivity initiatives
This project will contribute to an enabling ecosystem for the emergence and growth of community networks and other community-based connectivity initiatives in developing countries. It is part of a multi-year, multi-donor strategy envisaged to address the human capacity and sustainability challenges, along with the policy and regulatory obstacles, that limit the growth of community-based connectivity initiatives.
Challenging hate narratives and violations of freedom of religion and expression online in Asia
This project seeks to protect and promote respect for freedom of religion and expression on the internet, particularly by countering hate speech online on the basis of religion, and generating narratives and discourse that defend secular and diverse opinions touching upon religion. The three-year project focuses on five countries in South and Southeast Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Pakistan.
FIRN: Feminist Internet Research Network
The Feminist Internet Research Network is a three-and-a-half-year collaborative and multidisciplinary research project led by APC, funded by the International Development Research Centre. The project draws on the study “Mapping research in gender and digital technology”, and the Feminist Principles of the Internet collectively crafted by feminists and activists, primarily located in the global South.
Global Information Society Watch
Global Information Society Watch (GISWatch) is an annual report co-produced by the APC network and partners, which looks at the progress being made in creating an inclusive information society worldwide (particularly in implementing WSIS goals), encourages critical debate, and strengthens networking and advocacy for a just, inclusive information society.
When people talk about the digital society, what’s their priority?
New changes to Poland's abortion law could effectively ban abortion. Online protests have been building momentum to counter the force of the government, even as the pandemic rages on in Europe.
This beautifully illustrated story is a tale about how two community network women in India and the women around them sustained connectivity while navigating a global pandemic as the country came to a lockdown.
Columns
David Souter writes a weekly column for APC, looking at different aspects of the information society, development and rights. David’s pieces take a fresh look at many of the issues that concern APC and its members, with the aim of provoking discussion and debate. Issues covered include internet governance and sustainable development, human rights and the environment, policy, practice and the use of ICTs by individuals and communities.
The undersigned organisations call on the military to immediately respect the election results, return power to the elected parliament and government, unconditionally release all those detained, refrain from all acts of violence, and restore and maintain full internet connectivity.
APC and a coalition of over 60 other organisations are calling on Facebook and Google to provide equal and better transparency regarding political advertising on their platforms globally. Online transparency should not be a privilege of the few, but the right of all.
APC congratulates and welcomes Fabrizio Hochschild to his new role as United Nations Envoy on Technology. APC sees the Tech Envoy role as crucial to promoting improved coordination and synergy among different spaces and processes concerning internet governance and global digital cooperation.
A new resolution on privacy in the digital age adopted at the UN General Assembly reaffirms the fundamental importance of the right to privacy and renews international commitment to ending all abuses and violations of this vital right worldwide.
This volume showcases various perspectives on the right to freedom of expression and speech in the Asia-Pacific region, including contributions from Gayatri Khandhadai, APC's Asia policy regional coordinator, and Shubha Kayastha, director of Body and Data, an APC member organisation in Nepal.
May First expresses concern over the events of 6 January 2021, which clearly demonstrate there is a large, organised and growing fascist movement in the United States, propelled by a false narrative framed and propagated by right-wing media and right-wing forces using the internet.
As Uganda heads to presidential and parliamentary elections in January 2021, digital communications have taken centre-stage and are playing a crucial role in how candidates and parties engage with citizens.
Videos from Brazilian NGO Intervozes have been removed from YouTube for alleged copyright infringement. State Judicial branch recognized the illegality of the Content ID mechanism.
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