‘Zoombombing’ comes for houses of worship
Boston, USRNS On Sunday, Alex Merritt was signed in to the Zoom video conferencing app, discussing a Biblical passage with members of his Sunday school young adults group at St David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. Then the trolls attacked. Some began sharing their screens and drawing obscene images over the text the group had […]
Internet shutdowns “not justified” in coronavirus outbreak
Bangkok, Thailand/Addis Ababa, EthiopiaThomson Reuters Foundation Internet shutdowns cannot be justified at a time when access to information is critical to containing the deadly coronavirus pandemic, human rights groups have warned. The outbreak has infected more than 245,000 people worldwide and the death toll now exceeds 10,000, according to a Reuters tally. “Internet access is […]
Father of web, Tim Berners-Lee, urges end to abuse of women online
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Growing online abuse of women and girls is threatening global progress towards gender equality, the inventor of the web Tim Berners-Lee said on Thursday. Berners-Lee, who invented the web in 1989, said he was “seriously concerned” about the impact of harassment and other online abuse, urging governments and companies to do […]
Actress Mira Sorvino calls for action on pimps, buying sex to end trafficking
New York City, USThomson Reuters Foundation Hollywood actress Mira Sorvino called on Thursday for more action to be taken against pimps and men buying sex in a bid to end sex trafficking, voicing fears that online pornography and grooming of vulnerable targets were fuelling the problem. The 52-year-old Oscar-winning actress became actively involved in campaigning […]
Privacy concerns pushing people to change online behaviour, poll shows
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation Privacy concerns are pushing people to change their behaviour online, according to an international poll published on Wednesday that found one in three avoid specific search terms or web pages to elude tracking. More than seven in 10 respondents to a survey of almost 10,000 people in nine countries said they […]
Australia to block internet domains hosting extremist content during terror attacks
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will block access to internet domains hosting terrorist material during crisis events and will consider legislation to force digital platforms to improve the safety of their services, officials said on Sunday. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is in France to take part in the G7 leaders’ forum, said the government intended […]
With no phones or internet, Kashmiris struggle to reach families
Bangkok, Thailand/New Delhi, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation With no phones and internet for 10 days, Indians are using their feet, cars and planes to move essential supplies into Kashmir as it deals with a communications blackout on a scale rarely seen in today’s world. India revoked the special status of its portion of Himalayan Kashmir, known […]
ESSAY: CHRISTCHURCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP
Writing from London in the wake of last week’s terror attack in New Zealand, MAL FLETCHER looks at the issue of social media regulation…
ESSAY: THE CHURCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Writing from London, MAL FLETCHER argues that new laws are part of the answer to issues surrounding the use of social media but that it also opens “huge opportunities” for educators and church leaders…
Senior UN officials calls for restoration of internet in DRC following December election
A senior UN official has called for authorities to restore internet service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying that a general network shutdown is a “clear violation of international law and cannot be justified”. Internet and text services were cut following the recent election in the DRC. A government spokesman has reportedly said the […]