Daily Archives: June 17, 2017

The nation has shut down the internet in various regions 20 times in the first five months of this year, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. Four of those blackouts have taken place this month, all in states where violent protests took place.

That represents a dramatic uptick from last year, when 31 shutdowns were recorded in total, and an even greater increase since 2012 -- which saw only three shutdowns.

The Indian government did not respond to a request for comment on the report, but has argued in the past that restricting access is sometimes necessary to prevent social media rumors from fueling violence.

Related: Can Theresa May use tech to stop terror attacks?

The disputed and conflict-ridden region of Kashmir, for example, has seen 33 shutdowns in five years.

"The lack of transparency and failure to explain these shutdowns only furthers the perception that they are meant to suppress nonviolent reporting and criticism of the government," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

While the Indian government doesn't have its own internet-blocking apparatus like China's "Great Firewall," it can order service providers to go offline. That power stems from a law written in 1973, which allows the government to impose various restrictions on the public to prevent everything from riots to "obstruction, annoyance or injury."

Related: A huge wave of new users is killing 4G speeds in India

India, which is often referred to as the world's largest democracy, has been called out for online censorship before.

A 2016 survey of internet freedom in 65 countries by U.S.-based think tank Freedom House gave India a score of 41. China, with a score of 88, came last. Estonia performed best with a score of 6.

In another report by the Brookings Institution last year, India tied for first place with Iraq for the highest number of internet shutdowns among 19 countries (including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and North Korea).

Facebook also ranks the Indian government among the top countries asking it to censor content. The social media giant said in its latest Government Requests Report that India ordered 719 pieces of content to be restricted, lower only than Brazil, Turkey and Germany.

India topped Facebook's list for two straight years up to June 2015.

CNNMoney (New Delhi) First published June 16, 2017: 10:13 AM ET

Continued here:
Internet censorship in India is on the rise - CNNMoney

A New Jersey high school yearbook adviser has been suspended amid an investigation into censorship allegations overphotos and a quotation that were altered to remove references to President Trump, according to news reports.

Three students at Wall High School in central New Jersey noticed the changes in their yearbooks late last week, and their parents have since been calling for action.

Wall Township public schoolsSuperintendent Cheryl Dyer said last weekthat the district learned aboutan allegation of censorship and the possible violation of First Amendment rights and was investigating the matter. She told USA Todaylate Monday that the teacher, whom she would not name,was suspended pending further disciplinary action. NJ.com reported that the teacher has been suspendedindefinitely with pay while the district investigates the allegations.

Dyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the suspension. Its still unclear what role the teacher may have played in the yearbook alterations.

[Parents outraged after pro-Trump messages were edited out of this high schools yearbooks]

On picture day in October, one student,juniorWyatt Dobrovich-Fago, had worn a fleece vest with a Trump campaign logo, but it appeared to be cropped out in the yearbook. His sister, Montana, who was freshman-class president, was missing a Trump quote that was meant to appear beneath her photo. I like thinking big. If you are going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big, itread,according to CNN.

But perhaps the most blatant edit was to17-year-oldGrant BerardosTRUMP Make America Great Again! T-shirt, which was apparently altered in his yearbook photo to removethe Republican presidential nominees campaign slogan. In the yearbook, the high school junior appeared to be wearing a plain and simple, dark-colored T-shirt.

Grants father,Joseph Berardo, said in a Facebook post Monday night that he had met with the school administration earlier in the day and was informed that the teacher had been suspended.

There was a lapse in judgement and mistakes were made. I suspect there will be meaningful consequences, Berardo wrote.

I refuse to be censored although my son was, he added. Issues like these are too important to look the other way. HOWEVER, if we agree to talk instead of shout, I believe we can always find common ground.

Berardo earlier told The Washington Post that school pictures were sent home to the studentsfamilies after the electionand that there did not seem to be any issue with Grants portrait.

In fact, he said, Grants picturewasused as hisschool identificationphoto.

He was just really surprised; it was the first election he ever took an interest in, he said of his son. His question was, Is it okay? Did someone do something here that they shouldnt have done? Thats why Im pursuing it.He said he wants his son to understand that althoughthese are your teachers and administrators, there are still things youre permitted to do throughthe Constitution.

Dyer, the superintendent, previouslysaid in a statement, Two parents have notified the school district of ways in which the attire of their children was altered in yearbook photos. Further, there are claims that comments or quotes offered for inclusion in the yearbook were not published. References to and support of President Trump were involved in each of these incidents.

There is nothing in Wall Township High Schools student dress code that would prevent a student from expressing his or her political views, or support for a political figure, via appropriate clothing and attire, she said. Indeed, the administration applauds students for becoming involved in politics, making their voices known, and taking an active part in our democracy.

The district has not identified the suspended adviser, but Berardo said it was Susan Parsons, who has worked for the district for 15 years, according to her course website. Thecourse sitestates that Parsons oversees Yearbook 1, 2 and 3, as well as other technology courses such as digital media, Web page design, computer repair and digital animation and gaming.

Parsons could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment and an email sent to her schoolemail address came back as undeliverable. But she told the New York Post, We have never made any action against any political party.

Shewould not say who made the edits, according to the New York Post.

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Excerpt from:
Adviser suspended after pro-Trump messages were edited out of high school yearbooks - Washington Post