Bytes for All (B4A)

Civil society groups mark the anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attack by calling on governments worldwide to fulfill their obligation to protect freedom of expression.

In December 2015, Bytes for All demanded that Pakistani authorities explain the mobile network shutdowns taking place in Islamabad, roughly coinciding with the time of Friday sermons at mosques.

Bytes for All, Pakistan welcomes a recent decision by mobile phone manufacturer Blackberry Ltd to end its operations in Pakistan in the face of demands by the government to give it unfettered access to its customers’ private encrypted data.

A new Bytes for All research study shows that Pakistani authorities are blocking online expression of religious minorities, while banned organisations continue to enjoy impunity.

The report is based on the analysis of mobile network shutdowns in Pakistan since 2012, with specific focus on the shutdown in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi during March 2015.

Charged under the Sedition Act in Malaysia, internationally known political cartoonist Zunar could face 43 years in jail for a tweet.

Various groups expressed misgivings about the process by which a cybercrime bill was drafted and revised. The democratic process in Pakistan is undermined and the bill contains several provisions that are potentially damaging to privacy and freedom of expression.

They don’t write for The New York Times or The Daily Mail. And the Swazi government is counting on just that to keep Bheki Makhubu and Thulani Maseko in jail for criticizing the judiciary.