Feminist talk

#fbrape is about gender-based hate speech, not about censorship

Posted | 11,108 views
On May 21 more than a hundred organisations lead by "Women, Action…

Feminist talk

‘Choli ke peeche kya hai?’: censorship and pornography

Posted | 10,041 views
The discourse of censorship is well-known to most people, as India’s right-wing moral brigades routinely flock to the streets to prevent everything from item numbers in Bollywood films to sex education posters in trains to the greeting-card shop Archies (for its ‘promotion’ of Valentine’s Day) from going ahead. But what does this mean for freedom of speech and expression in the country? And more…

Feminist talk

Facebook support sucks

Posted | 5,722 views
Since November 22, when I made a password error, Facebook has restricted me from certain features for 30 days. Highly inconvenient because I am admin of several groups and pages (mostly related to peace and human rights). Each I try to take any of the above actions, I get a note saying I have been blocked from certain features because I may have violated community standards. Like which ones?

Feminist talk

“A Facebook status can get you arrested faster than killing someone now”

Posted | 11,491 views
In India, the largest democracy on Earth, 21-year old girl Shaheen Dhada was arrested for posting a status update on Facebook questioning the complete shutdown of cities for Bal Thackeray’s (rightwing leader notorious for inciting religious hatred and violence) funeral on Sunday, 18th November. Her friend Renu Srinivas was also arrested for “liking” the update which reportedly read: "People like…

Feminist talk

Censorship walks, a feminist view of the Internet Governance Forum

Posted | 8,611 views
A big hangar, with a constant voice asking people to wear headphones and talk to each other through the microphones, an internet network that does not allow participants to be online simultaneously, with an average of only one person out of three being able to access full online services and the other two struggling with their different devices to reach out, comment and communicate what is…

Feminist talk

Autocracy 2.0 at the Internet Governance Forum

Posted | 33,685 views
This is my first IGF, I have sneaked into the arena of Internet Governance during the WSIS. At that time I decided to retire and be a distant witness. This year I am here, listening, learning, observing and exercising my right to express my visions, my active feminist citizenship - which was censored today (7th Nov.) in the workshop 89 room 8 by the “aggressively moderate” Robert Guerra.

Feminist talk

Human rights must be encoded into the fabric of internet governance dialogues

Posted | 5,813 views
This is the transcription of Valentina Pellizzer 's speech at the closing ceremony of the 7th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 6th to 9th November, 2012.

Feminist talk

The Uprising of Women in the Arab World censored by Facebook

Posted | 7,757 views
On 10 November, the page of The Uprising of Women in the Arab World posted that Dana, the Syrian woman whose photo was censored by Facebook, was restored after a call for support against Facebook censorship of her photo.

Feminist talk

Censorship in South Africa: Protecting or policing?

Posted | 11,033 views
The Spear is a painting that depicts the African National Congress leader and South African president Jacob Zuma in a rallying pose, with genitals exposed. It has caused controversy and been defaced. Images of the painting have gone viral on internet. In late May 2012, the South African Film and Publications Board classified the painting, as "16N" - not suitable for people under the age of 16…

Feminist talk

Bargain basement shopping in the information society

Posted | 11,432 views
When I saw this quote on Mozilla's new Collusion website: "If you're not paying for something, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold - Andrew Lewis." I felt it summed up the economics tool box session on Commodification of Knowledge that APC led at the 2012 AWID Forum quite nicely. The session, organised by APC, brought together speakers to spark debate and reflection, but the…