Censorship

Governments across the Middle East and North Africa are advancing social media laws that would give states broader power to control online speech and pressure platforms. Access Now says the push builds on a 2023 League of Arab States strategy and includes Egypt’s April 2026 draft law, which would require platforms to keep a local legal representative, comply with national-security and cybercrime rules, remove pseudonymous and under-16 accounts, and take down content deemed against public morality or state interests. — These rules could make it easier for governments to force content removals, block services, and identify or silence users, especially activists, journalists, and ordinary people relying on pseudonymity. Platforms, civil-society groups, and affected users should watch country-level rulemaking closely because the immediate risk is more censorship, less anonymity, and stronger state leverage over online speech.

Freedom of the Press Foundation said Paramount+ refused to run its ad criticizing the proposed Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger and warning that it could place CNN and other outlets under politically aligned editorial control. According to FPF, Paramount+ cited a conflict of interest, while the ad argued that David Ellison and President Donald Trump were linked to regulatory-pressure and coverage concerns surrounding the merger; the dispute centers on ad rejection and alleged suppression of criticism rather than a software flaw or cyberattack. — This matters because it is a specific allegation of platform-level suppression tied to a major media-ownership deal and political pressure, with implications for press independence and the public's access to criticism of powerful companies and officials. Affected users and watchdogs should track the merger, the ad-blocking decision, and any broader pattern of editorial or distribution restrictions.

California lawmakers advanced AB 1856, a bill that would exempt open-source operating systems from parts of the state's age-assurance law but broaden age-checking requirements for many internet services. EFF says the amended bill would still extend the age-bracketing regime created by AB 1043 beyond operating systems and app stores to web browsers and websites, increasing pressure to collect users' age data and potentially affecting anonymity, privacy, and access to lawful speech. — If enacted, the bill could force more online services to ask for and retain age information, creating new privacy and security risks for ordinary users while raising compliance burdens for developers and platforms. People and organizations tracking internet freedom and privacy policy should watch the Senate process closely.

California’s Assembly advanced AB 2047, a bill that would require 3D printers to use software that monitors prints and tries to block firearm-related designs. EFF says the amended bill still mandates surveillance of all prints, relies on vague third-party standards, and continues to pressure manufacturers, resellers, and open-source developers to implement or support filtering technology, even after changes carving out some resale and entertainment uses. — This is a security- and rights-relevant policy fight because it would normalize device-level monitoring of lawful activity and could burden open-source tools and creators far beyond its stated target. People in California, printer makers, and open-source developers may need to track the bill closely and oppose or prepare for compliance requirements if it advances.

Freedom of the Press Foundation says ICE investigated a New York woman after she reposted on Instagram a newspaper’s identification of an immigration officer involved in a fatal shooting. According to Syracuse.com, agents confronted Paigelynne Gonyea at her polling-place job and warned she could be prosecuted for threatening a federal officer; DHS later claimed she also posted the officer’s home address, which she denies. FPF filed a Freedom of Information Act request with ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility seeking records on whether similar investigations are targeting people for resharing journalism or naming officers based on published reporting. — This matters to the public and the press because government investigations aimed at people who share lawful news reporting can chill speech without directly censoring a newsroom. Anyone sharing sensitive reporting about law enforcement or immigration officials should watch for official pressure tactics, and transparency from ICE will help clarify whether protected speech is being treated as criminal conduct.

A New Jersey court partially upheld an order restricting publication of a high school security video obtained by New Brunswick Today and broadened it to cover the press generally. Judge Thomas McCloskey’s July 9 order allows publication only if minors’ identities are redacted and requires the outlet to submit the edited video to the school district and court for approval before release. The footage shows a school lockdown incident involving a student with an airsoft BB gun at a New Brunswick high school. — This is a significant press-freedom and censorship development because it imposes prior restraint, forcing media to alter or seek approval for reporting before publication. It matters to journalists, civil-liberties groups, and the public because the order could chill reporting on school security incidents and confidential-source material.

House leaders released a bipartisan kids online safety bill that would require age verification for porn sites, bar minors from using disappearing messages, and force AI chatbots to disclose that they are not human. The compromise package also includes a data broker registry and some preemption of state laws, but it drops the long-debated 'duty of care' provision that would have required platforms to reduce harms tied to product design and algorithms. — This could materially change how online platforms verify ages, handle children’s data, and design youth-facing features, with direct privacy and free-expression implications for both minors and adults. Platforms, privacy advocates, and users should watch the bill’s next House and Senate steps closely because it could create new compliance duties and broader identity-checking requirements.

India temporarily restricted Telegram nationwide ahead of the rerun of its medical entrance exam after authorities said scammers were using the app to sell fake leaked test papers. The National Testing Agency said access would be blocked until June 22 and Telegram's message-editing feature disabled in India until June 30; officials said fraudsters used edited posts to make it appear they had advance access to real NEET-UG questions, and police in Ahmedabad arrested suspects tied to eight Telegram channels in a scheme that moved about 15 million rupees. — This affects millions of Telegram users in India and shows how governments may impose platform-level restrictions in response to fraud and rumor campaigns. Students and families should be wary of Telegram channels offering leaked exam papers, while defenders and rights groups should track the censorship and platform-governance implications of disabling communications tools to address scams.

Apple removed Russia’s state-backed Max messaging app from the App Store, cutting off new iPhone and iPad downloads and updates for existing users. Apple told BBC Russia the removal was done to comply with sanctions regulations, while Russian officials said about 20 million users lost access through Apple’s marketplace. Max, developed by VK and promoted by the Russian state as a Telegram and WhatsApp alternative, is deeply integrated with government services, digital ID, e-signatures, and payments; critics warn its lack of end-to-end encryption could make user communications easier for authorities to monitor. — This affects Russian users who rely on Max and highlights how app-store controls, sanctions, and state-backed platforms can shape access to communication tools. It also matters for privacy watchers because Max is closely tied to government infrastructure, so users should weigh surveillance risks and loss of updates if they continue using it.

State attorneys general and lawmakers are targeting websites that publish information about abortion access, even when those sites do not sell or prescribe medication. EFF says Alabama and Arkansas sent cease-and-desist demands to groups including Plan C and Mayday Health, North Dakota pressured Prairie Abortion Fund over links to outside resources, and South Dakota passed a law that Mayday Health says could criminalize online abortion-related "advertising" and informational speech. — This is a live censorship and digital-rights issue affecting people seeking health information and the groups that publish it. It matters beyond abortion because legal threats, takedown demands, and broad speech restrictions can chill lawful online information and set precedent for suppressing other sensitive topics.

The UK government says it will block children under 16 from using major social media platforms and require stronger age-verification systems. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the proposed law would cover user-to-user platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X, and YouTube, while exempting messaging services like WhatsApp. The plan also includes restrictions on livestreaming, stranger contact, and some AI chatbot features for minors, with legislation expected before Christmas and enforcement targeted for spring 2027. — This could reshape how millions of children access online services and would likely require platforms to deploy invasive or robust age-assurance controls. Parents, teens, platforms, and privacy advocates should watch the details closely because the practical impact will depend on how identity and age checks are implemented.

U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan bill that would create new legal and transparency rules around government efforts to get online services to remove lawful speech. The JAWBONE Act would create a federal cause of action against officials who coerce or try to coerce broadcasters, interactive computer services, or AI providers into acting against First-Amendment-protected expression, and would require more transparency about such government-platform communications. EFF ties the proposal to its ongoing challenge over pressure that led Apple to remove the ICEBlock app. — This matters for internet users, app developers, and platforms because it could curb back-channel government pressure that results in lawful speech or apps being removed. The practical takeaway is to watch this bill and related court fights, since they could reshape how agencies communicate with Apple, Google, Meta, and other intermediaries about content moderation.

Russia is asking its Supreme Court to ban Belarusian Cyber Partisans and Silent Crow as extremist organizations, a designation that can outlaw their activities, block their websites and channels, and expose associates to criminal penalties. The move follows the groups' claimed attacks on Russian and Belarusian government and infrastructure targets, including the July 2025 Aeroflot disruption that canceled more than 100 flights and allegedly involved data theft and destruction of airline IT systems. No CVE or software flaw is cited; this is a state action tied to politically motivated hacking and online speech. — This matters because Russia is using an extremism label against online groups tied to cyber operations, which can expand censorship and criminalize access to related information channels. People following these groups, especially in Russia, may face blocking or legal risk, while defenders and researchers should watch for knock-on effects on threat visibility and attribution.

At a Beijing summit, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement promising deeper cooperation on information security, cyber-threat response, internet regulation, AI, satellite internet, IoT, and interoperability between China's BeiDou and Russia's GLONASS systems. The statement also emphasized joint software and open-source development to reduce dependence on Western technology and endorsed stronger state control over domestic internet environments. — The agreement signals closer alignment between two major authoritarian states on cyber policy, digital infrastructure and 'internet sovereignty,' with implications for censorship, surveillance, and state-backed cyber operations. It matters to policymakers, civil-society groups and defenders tracking how geopolitical blocs may reshape internet governance and security ecosystems.

Access Now and other groups say Meta has made Facebook and Instagram accounts of NGOs, researchers, and civil-society figures unavailable in Saudi Arabia and the UAE since late April 2026. Meta's transparency reporting indicates more than 100 Facebook pages and Instagram accounts were restricted since March 2026, citing local legal requirements and cybercrime laws in both countries. — This affects access to information and the safety and reach of human-rights advocacy in highly restrictive states. It is relevant to censorship tracking because a major platform is enforcing government takedown and geo-blocking demands against lawful speech.