The Speak! team is happy to present this year’s print edition. You can view the journal by clicking the link here: Speak!_Vol. 11 Continue reading
Category Archives: Speak! Journal
Vigilante social media and the Vancouver Riots
As the final horn signaled the defeat of the Vancouver Canucks by the Boston Bruins at the Stanley Cup final on June 15, 2011, riots broke out in downtown Vancouver. About a hundred thousand people took to the streets. In the aftermath, 140 were injured, and close to 100 were arrested. These riots were not … Continue reading
Courage in censorship: an analysis of the career of Eskinder Nega
“Freedom is partial to no race. Freedom has no religion. Freedom favors no ethnicity. Freedom discriminates not between rich and poor countries. Inevitably freedom will overwhelm Ethiopia.” These are the words of Ethiopian journalist and dissident blogger Eskinder Nega, published in dissident blogs five days before he was arrested by Ethiopian authorities on charges of … Continue reading
Censorship or sensitivity? Twitter’s new policy
On Jan. 26, 2012, Twitter announced its new content policy in an online blog post. Due to its increasing global audience with varying ideas about freedom of expression, Twitter plans to censor tweets deemed controversial by a host country. However, instead of removing the offending post entirely, Twitter will only make its content unavailable for … Continue reading
Social media sites and censorship: a comparison
Twitter caused quite a buzz when it announced plans to introduce a geolocation policy. Formally known as Geolocation API, the policy has been monikered “geolocated censorship” by its critics, including media rights activist groups like Reporters Without Borders and concerned Twitter users. Conversely, the policy immediately drew approval from governments of countries such as Thailand and Brazil. Given the … Continue reading
Social media and the Arab Spring: an overview
The historical significance of the Arab Spring is undeniable. It marks the thawing of the icy authoritarianism that has gripped the Middle East since the end of World War II. Many questions have been raised regarding the unique social media strategies used by citizens to bring down more than half a century of dictatorial rule. … Continue reading
Social media and the Arab Spring: building real community?
The Arab Spring began as citizens across the Arab world become dissatisfied with their political and economic situations, and fed up with their repressive government regimes . Frustrated with the high income inequality and mass unemployment, the youth decided to finally take hold of their fate and contest the status quo. Fortunately for them, the … Continue reading
Facebook going public: what does this mean for users?
Since its launch eight years ago, Facebook has navigated an uneasy tension between profitability and privacy. This fun and free service has somehow compelled users to willingly reveal the most intimate details about themselves. Macleans blogger Jesse Brown wrote that Facebook “now owns the most comprehensive and accurate marketing database that the world has ever … Continue reading
A new platform of protest: how SOPA/PIPA rallied the Internet community
At the beginning of the semester it seemed like almost everyone on Facebook was up in arms over SOPA and PIPA. Statuses, photos and links referred to the limitations of Internet freedom that these bills could potentially bring about. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) were bills introduced in … Continue reading
The 101 on Bill C-11
After massive online lobbying on various Internet platforms, the controversial American bill, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), was quickly reneged, attesting to the democratic power of social media. A similar Canadian online piracy bill, Bill C-11, has garnered less public attention — until now. This proposed legislation has been in progress for many years but … Continue reading
Censorship in China: a timeline
This timeline shows the history of the Internet in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and various acts of censorship imposed on it by the PRC government. Censorship has limited freedoms of speech and expression, and numerous people have protested China’s restrictions. 1994 Internet Arrives in China for the First Time. January 23, 1996 China’s … Continue reading
Censorship in China: what is Green Dam?
Cyber Harmony or Total Control? On May 19, 2009, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of the People’s Republic of China issued an edict which shocked Chinese netizens. The edict dictated that starting from July 1, all computers produced and sold in China must be pre-installed with “Green Dam Youth Escort” software. This … Continue reading
Censorship in China: censorship loopholes
Mainland Chinese netizens are blocked from visiting certain websites dis-preferred by the government, such as Google and Facebook. Surprisingly, a recent BBC news article reported that a large number of comments on a site restricted by the Chinese government are written in simplified Chinese script, evidence that the comments originated from mainland China. This raises the … Continue reading
The World Wide Web of lies
Advances in technology have decreased the supply of human rights on the Internet. More software capable of monitoring Web activity is being developed each day. The immediate example most people can name is China’s Golden Shield Project, among its other, extensive Internet regulations. It can be tricky to strike a balance between media transparency with … Continue reading
Anonymous: “hacktivists” demystified
Once upon a time, in a far-flung, sordid corner of the Internet, a group of hackers set out to right the wrongs of our era from behind a computer screen and a V for Vendetta-inspired Guy Fawkes mask. These hackers often preface their attacks with ominous, robotically-articulated Youtube warnings, reminding their victims that “We are … Continue reading
Social media and the question of authenticity
The significance of social media and bloggers was arguably realized most influentially in the events surrounding the Arab Spring. Twitter was widely used to create awareness of social issues and contexts, and as a mobilizing tool for social activists in repressive regimes. The extent of this technology’s social impact has been widely documented. Yet this newly … Continue reading
Internet pornography censorship: a slippery slope
Television, film and news media have all changed drastically due to the dawn of the Internet. But so has another industry: pornography. The rise of the World Wide Web has forced pornography into the age of information. The Internet has made this controversial media genre more accessible, affordable and anonymous than ever. A recent poll … Continue reading
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