[Op-Ed] Civic Tech and Engagement: How City Halls Can Help Construct Stronger Neighborhoods
BY Susan Crawford | Tuesday, July 29 2014
Boston's new District Hall, a public-private partnership for civic innovation
Last week, the UN reported that more than half of humanity now lives in cities; by 2050 two-thirds of people will, up from just 30% in 1950. Given the grave challenges facing the world's booming urban areas—including global warming, economic dislocation, and crumbling basic infrastructure, among other torments—tomorrow's mayors will need to take bold steps to ensure their constituents live in dignity and safety. But public distrust of dysfunctional, faceless government is profound, resources are limited, gaps between groups are widening, and many are unaware of the role of government in their lives—which makes citizens less likely to support major initiatives. One way to fill the drained reservoir of public trust in municipal government, writes Susan Crawford, is to make city hall more visibly—and continuously—responsive. Digital technology can help: by using data to optimize the use of limited city resources and communicate clearly (with a friendly voice) across a range of platforms, a city can make life noticeably better for its citizens. Read More
First POST: Georemixing
BY Micah L. Sifry | Thursday, May 22 2014
Ethan Zuckerman on the global politics of YouTube georemixes; Facebook's flip-flop on user privacy; California's push to take "do not track" requests seriously; and much, much more. Read More
First POST: Decay
BY Micah L. Sifry | Wednesday, May 21 2014
The USA Freedom Act surveillance reform bill is getting watered down; Data.gov's 5th anniversary is no cause for celebration; Iran cracks down on "Happy" YouTube video sharers; and much, much more. Read More
Pakistan's National Assembly Unanimously Agrees YouTube Ban Should Be Lifted
BY Jessica McKenzie | Friday, May 9 2014
Pakistanis who want unfettered access to YouTube caught a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel this week when a resolution to lift the ban passed unanimously in the National Assembly. At the end of April Pakistan's Senate Human Rights Committee also unanimously passed a resolution to lift the ban.
Read MoreFirst POST: Messaging
BY Micah L. Sifry | Wednesday, April 30 2014
How Americans are(n't) responding to the dangers of the Heartbleed bug; mobile politicking's unconquered territory; how some of Silicon Valley is embracing the "nerd prom"; and much, much more. Read More
In Pakistan, A Hypocritical Gov't Ignores Calls To End YouTube Ban
BY Jessica McKenzie | Thursday, April 10 2014
Screenshot of Anusha Rehman's profile at www.na.gov.pk
YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan by executive order since September 2012, after the “blasphemous” video Innocence of Muslims started riots in the Middle East. Since then, civil society organizations and Internet rights advocacy groups like Bolo Bhi and Bytes for All have been working to lift the ban. Last August the return of YouTube seemed imminent—the then-new IT Minister Anusha Rehman spoke optimistically and her party, which had won the majority a few months before, was said to be “seriously contemplating” ending the ban. And yet since then, Rehman and her party, the conservative Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), have done everything in their power to maintain the status quo.
Read MoreYouTube Still Blocked In Turkey, Even After Courts Rule It Violates Human Rights, Infringes on Free Speech
BY Jessica McKenzie | Thursday, April 10 2014
First POST: WhatsNext?
BY Micah L. Sifry | Thursday, April 10 2014
How India's upcoming national election may foreshadow new tech tactics in the US in 2016; where former President George W. Bush goes for inspiration; former President Bill Clinton half-praises Edward Snowden; and much, much more. Read More
First POST: Font of Wisdom
BY Micah L. Sifry | Friday, March 28 2014
Charting the various NSA reform proposals; mapping the Twitter/YouTube/Facebook bans; exiting from Facebook?; and much, much more. Read More
Newest Twist in Pakistan YouTube Ban Case Comes From…California
BY Jessica McKenzie | Thursday, February 27 2014
Blocked! (Wikipedia)
On February 26, a U.S. federal appeals court ordered Google Inc to remove the film “Innocence of Muslims” from YouTube for copyright violations. The film sparked protests throughout the Middle East after it was released in September 2012, and demonstrations in parts of Pakistan turned violent. Pakistan's Prime Minister ordered YouTube to be blocked, ostensibly to prevent any further violence as a result of “Innocence of Muslims.” The Pakistani Internet rights organization Bytes For All has challenged the YouTube ban in court, and now that Google has been ordered to remove the film from YouTube, point out that there is now no reason to keep the site blocked.
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