French surveillance law passes National Assembly, but it’s not the last word
Until the last moment the opponents of a very controversial French intelligence bill tried to be heard. On Monday May 4 on the eve of the vote, activists kept calling deputies to convince them to reject the bill. They had no chance however, since the Socialist government could count on a solid majority from both…
Officials sentenced in Colombia for spying on journalists
Bogotá, May 1, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the sentencing on Thursday by the Colombian Supreme Court of two former senior government officials for their roles in an illegal surveillance program. The program, which occurred while former President Álvaro Uribe was in office, involved spying on some of the country’s most prominent journalists as…
On World Press Freedom Day and journalists’ safety
Last week, I met a Cameroonian journalist who worked in the Congo until he fled following a series of threats and an attack on his home by armed men who assaulted his sister. Elie Smith, a TV host who documented alleged abuses by police and was outspoken in his criticism of the government, said he…
Surveillance forces journalists to think and act like spies
Once upon a time, a journalist never gave up a confidential source. When someone comes forward, anonymously, to inform the public, it’s better to risk time incarcerated than give them up. This ethical responsibility was also a practical and professional necessity. If you promise anonymity, you’re obliged to deliver. If you can’t keep your word,…
Journalists overcome obstacles through crowdfunding and determination
During South Africa’s Boer War, at the turn of the 20th century, a determined news organization relocated reporters, copy editors, and printing presses to the front line to ensure accurate reporting. In the Warsaw Ghetto, during World War II, a literal underground press, established to counter Nazi propaganda, required the nightly movement of cumbersome printing…
One year after arrest Zone 9 bloggers remain imprisoned as trial drags on
It will be one year this weekend since six bloggers were arrested in Addis Ababa, just days after the group announced on Facebook that their Zone 9 blog would resume publishing after seven months of inactivity. As the anniversary of the arrests approaches on Saturday, Soleyana S. Gebremichale, one of the Zone 9 founders who…
China’s Great Cannon: New weapon to suppress free speech online
China, rated as the eighth most censored country in the world, in a report released by CPJ today, has long had a strong line of defense against free speech online. Its Golden Shield Project, launched by the Ministry of Public Security in 1998, relies on a combination of technology and personnel to control what can…
10 Most Censored Countries
10 Most Censored Countries 1. Eritrea 2. North Korea 3. Saudi Arabia 4. Ethiopia 5. Azerbaijan 6. Vietnam 7. Iran 8. China 9. Myanmar 10. Cuba Methodology » See updated list of 10 Most Censored Countries at https://cpj-preprod.go-vip.net/reports/2019/09/10-most-censored-eritrea-north-korea-turkmenistan-journalist.php. The 2015 list of 10 Most Censored Countries is part of CPJ’s annual publication, Attacks on the…
Morocco jails press freedom advocate Hicham Mansouri
New York, April 7, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the sentencing of Moroccan press freedom advocate Hicham Mansouri, who was handed a 10-month prison term and $4,057 fine over adultery charges by Rabat’s Court of First Instance on March 30, according to local and international news reports.
UPDATE: Google, Mozilla revoke authority of CNNIC after breach of trust
San Francisco, April 2, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Google’s plan to revoke the authority of root certificates belonging to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) following CNNIC’s major breach of the trust placed in them to underpin global Internet security. Mozilla also said it will not trust any CNNIC certificates dated after April…