UN-BHR

Twitter Expands Coverage on Regulation of Expression

December 03, 2020

In a statement, Twitter has announced the expansion of its 2019 ban on speech that dehumanizes others on the basis of religion or caste to include language that dehumanizes people on the basis of race, ethnicity and national origin.
Turkey Fines Social Media Giants under New Law

November 09, 2020

Turkey has fined five giant social-media companies including Facebook Inc, YouTube Inc. and Twitter $1.2 million for failing to appoint a local representative required by new laws that activists say are an attempt to stifle dissent.
U.S. Gains Support for 'Clean Network' Plan to Counter China

November 02, 2020

A senior administration official has announced that the United States has brought 49 countries, representing two-thirds of global economic output, into its “Clean Network” initiative aimed at limiting Chinese companies from access to sensitive sectors such as cloud computing and 5G mobile network due to their links with China's Communist Party.
U.S. Warns Against Europe Looking to Huawei for Mobile Solutions

September 30, 2020

As European countries consider their next generation mobile networks, Keith Krach, the U.S. undersecretary of state for economic affairs during a European tour warned that Telecoms company Huawei Technologies is part of China’s surveillance state, complicit in human rights abuses and that EU governments should instead choose between Finland's Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson.
The Guardian: UK Using Chinese Surveillance Cameras Banned by U.S.

September 23, 2020

Surveillance cameras made by Hikvision, a Chinese company that has been implicated in grave human rights violations and has been blacklisted by the US government, are being widely used in the UK, raising privacy concerns.
Google and Other Advertisers Accused of Violating EU Privacy Laws

September 21, 2020

Johnny Ryan, a senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, a NGO, has accused Google and several data brokers of violating the EU's privacy rules by harvesting people's personal information to build highly detailed online profiles, including information on sexual orientation, health status, and religious beliefs.
US halts imports from China’s Xinjiang region known for Human Rights Abuses

September 15, 2020

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) has put a freeze on imports from companies that produce cotton, clothing and computer parts in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, where local authorities have detained more than 1 million people in detention camps due to their ethnic and religious minorities.
Facebook's New Terms Expand the Company's Ability to Remove Content

September 02, 2020

Facebook's new terms rolling out October 1st will now allow the tech giant to remove or restrict access to any content if the company believes that such an action can help it avoid or mitigate potential legal or regulatory action, thereby expanding the company's control over their platform.
NYT: Study Finds Amazon's Employee Surveillance Can Limit Unions

September 01, 2020

A recent study conducted by Open Markets Institute raises concerns that Amazon's use of surveillance to monitor employee COVID-19-related health and productivity, including navigation software, item scanners, wristbands, thermal cameras, security cameras and recorded footage in warehouses and stores, may be limiting the possibility of union organization.
UK Appeals Court Finds Facial Recognition Software Unlawful

August 15, 2020

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales has overturned the High Court’s 2019 dismissal of a challenge to South Wales Police use of Automated Facial Recognition (“AFR”) technology, finding that its use was unlawful and violated the human right to respect for private and family life.