Internet censorship is an (in)visible thre at that is increasingly becoming more pervasive around the world -- often i mpacting vulnerable communities the most.
Today\, nearly every countr y experiences some form of internet censorship. What varies is the content being restricted—and the consequences of that restriction. In many cases\, governments block access to a broad range of websites and applications\; in more extreme scenarios\, they shut down internet access entirely. These pr actices are spreading globally\, posing significant threats to human rights and undermining fundamental democratic freedoms. As political dynamics shi ft\, so too does the landscape of internet censorship worldwide.
How has internet censorship evolved globally over the past decade? How have adv ocacy and circumvention tool groups monitored and responded to emergent cen sorship events?
Join this session to learn about global internet cens orship trends revealed through a decade of OONI network measurement data\, how the global #KeepItOn advocacy campaign fights inte rnet shutdowns\, and how Tor Project< /a> tools support censorship circumvention efforts.
Maria Xynou is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center\, wher e she is conducting a longitudinal study of the changing global internet ce nsorship landscape. She is also a Director of the Open Observatory of Netwo rk Interference (OONI)\, a nonprofit organization that provides free softwa re tools and open data to empower the public to monitor and respond to inte rnet censorship worldwide. Additionally\, she serves on the Board of Direct ors of the Tor Project. Since 2016\, Maria has led OONI’s strategic growth\ , established partnerships with 50 digital rights organizations\, and publi shed more than 70 research reports documenting internet censorship worldwid e – many of which received international press coverage. Previously\, she w orked with Tactical Tech and India’s Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) on a range of privacy and digital security projects. In recognition of her impact in the field of internet freedom\, Maria received the 2023 Free and Open Communications on the Internet (FOCI) Community Award.
F elicia Anthonio is #KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now\, a gl obal campaign of over 345 organizations that fights against internet shutdo wns. Felicia leads the coalition's advocacy work\, documenting and reportin g shutdowns and engaging with diverse state and non-state actors to push fo r an end to shutdowns around the world. She has authored and co-authored se veral publications on internet shutdowns featured on Access Now\, Yale Univ ersity\, CIPESA and Bloomsbury Collections websites. Felicia hosted The Kil l Switch podcast and was featured on The Shutdown documentary by BBC World Service. Felicia is an Advisory Council member of the US-based Open Technol ogy Fund (OTF) and a board member of the World Expression Forum (WEXFO) in Norway. Before joining Access Now\, Felicia worked as Programme Associate\, press freedom and free speech advocate\, at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) where she coordinated the African Freedom of Expression Excha nge (AFEX). She is a member of the African Digital Rights Network and a 20 19 Fellow of the African Internet Governance School (AfriSIG). She holds a Master’s Degree in Lettres\, Langues et Affaires Internationales from l’ Un iversité d’Orléans\, France and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Psy chology from the University of Ghana.
Roger Dingledine is Co-Founder and Original Developer for the Tor Project\, a nonprofit o rganization that develops free and open-source software used by millions wo rldwide for online anonymity\, privacy\, and censorship circumvention. Wear ing one hat\, Roger works with journalists and activists on many continents to help them understand and defend against the threats they face. Wearing another\, he is a prominent researcher in the online anonymity field\, coor dinating and mentoring academic researchers working on Tor-related topics. Since 2002\, Roger has helped organize the yearly international Privacy Enh ancing Technologies Symposium (PETS). Among his achievements\, Roger co-aut hored the Tor design paper that won the Usenix Security "Test of Time" awar d\, EFF picked him for a Pioneer Award\, and he has been recognized by Fore ign Policy magazine as one of its top 100 global thinkers.
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