Censorship

Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati said it is shutting down after the U.S. labeled it an extremist organization, cutting off core services used by thousands of activists and website operators. The State Department designation on August 26 was followed by suspension of the group’s .org domain by Public Interest Registry and account action by Banca Etica. A/I said it hosted about 16,000 email addresses, 1,500 websites, 5,500 mailing lists, and roughly 10,000 blogs, and will now help users back up data before closure. — This is a major infrastructure takedown with direct consequences for users who relied on A/I for email, blogs, hosting, and privacy-focused communications. Affected users should urgently export data and migrate services, while rights and security communities will watch it as a precedent for using sanctions pressure to remove online infrastructure.

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.

France’s top court blocked a law that would have banned people under 15 from using social media and would have required age checks for all users. The Constitutional Council said the measure disproportionately infringed freedom of expression and the right to private life, objecting both to the under-15 access ban and to mandatory age verification that could force users to submit IDs, face scans, or other personal data. President Emmanuel Macron has asked the government to draft a revised version. — This matters beyond France because it challenges a growing model of age-gating and social-media bans that can expand surveillance, reduce anonymity, and wrongly block lawful users. People, platforms, and policymakers should watch for any replacement bill and for similar proposals at the EU level.

Brazil has started enforcing a new online intermediary-liability regime that can make platforms responsible for user posts they do not remove after notice, with added duties around bots, paid content, and some serious crimes. The article says the change follows Brazil’s Supreme Court decision revising the old Marco Civil liability model and two late-May presidential decrees, including one focused on online violence against women; the measures add notice-and-takedown and duty-of-care obligations, while leaving concerns about systemic enforcement failures, surveillance, and overbroad censorship. — This matters to internet users, platforms, journalists, and civil society because it changes how quickly speech can be removed and may encourage over-censorship to avoid legal risk. People and organizations affected by online speech rules in Brazil should watch how appeals, bot rules, and duty-of-care enforcement are applied in practice.

Disney says it has sued the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, alleging the agency retaliated against ABC News because of reporting disliked by President Donald Trump. The lawsuit, filed Aug. 18, 2026, frames the FCC's actions under Chair Brendan Carr as unconstitutional retaliation and a violation of Disney's First Amendment rights, turning a regulatory dispute into a press-freedom and censorship fight. — This matters beyond Disney because it tests whether a federal regulator can pressure or punish media outlets over coverage. News organizations, journalists, and the public should watch the case closely because the outcome could affect how freely outlets report on powerful officials.

Cloudflare says news and publishing organizations have been the top DDoS target in 2026 so far, with attacks aimed at knocking outlets offline during wars, political events, and major sports coverage. The company said media, production, and publishing accounted for 14.2 percent of all DDoS attacks since January 1, and that it mitigated 805 network-layer attacks above 1 Tbps in Q2 alone, a 519 percent jump from Q1. The article ties the rise to geopolitically motivated and hacktivist activity around Ukraine, Iran, the Ankara NATO summit, and the FIFA World Cup. — For publishers, availability is the product: even a short outage during a breaking event can suppress reporting and public access to information. Media organizations and event-linked targets should harden DDoS protections and prepare incident response plans for traffic floods during major geopolitical or news moments.

Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition urged Zambia’s government and major internet providers not to disrupt internet access during the country’s August 13, 2026 general election. The appeal points to Zambia’s 2021 election-period internet shutdown, cites a government commitment not to repeat it, and warns that the Cybercrimes Act and Cybersecurity Act could further restrict online expression and access to information during the vote. — Election-time internet shutdowns can block communication, reporting, and access to information for voters, journalists, and observers. This matters now because Zambia’s election is imminent, and any disruption would have immediate public-impact and censorship consequences.

Russia said it wants Telegram founder Pavel Durov placed on an international wanted list, accusing him of aiding terrorism because Telegram allegedly failed to remove channels and bots the FSB says were used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups. The accusations center on claimed recruitment and sabotage activity conducted through Telegram, including the Daivinchik dating bot, and come amid broader Russian pressure on Telegram to localize Russian user data, open a local office, and cooperate with security services. — This matters because it could lead to deeper censorship, stronger pressure on encrypted or privacy-protecting platforms, and reduced access to Telegram for millions of users in Russia. People and organizations that rely on Telegram in Russia should expect possible blocking, legal pressure, and increased demands for data access and content removal.

A U.S. Senate bill would require many online services to verify users’ ages before they can access sexual content, potentially affecting far more than adult websites. As described by EFF, S. 737 could apply to platforms that host even a small amount of sexual content, pushing services to collect identity-linked age data and specifically requiring checks for traffic from known VPN or proxy addresses, raising privacy, security, and lawful-speech access concerns. — If enacted, the bill could force adults to hand over personal information to access lawful content and create new databases of sensitive identity data that could later be misused or breached. It also matters for privacy and censorship because it could pressure users not to use VPNs and push mainstream platforms toward broader age-gating and content restrictions.

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.

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.