Myanmar's digital surveillance and the forbidden stories of Rappler
This week we are bringing you stories about digital repression in Myanmar, Palestinians turning to TikTok and the results of an investigation into Jair Bolsonaro's COVID-19 strategy. In case you missed it last week, check out our write up of how Meedan's partners in India and Africa are combating misinformation for their audiences.
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Myanmar’s Military Deploys Digital Arsenal of Repression in Crackdown (New York Times)
The generals who staged a coup last month use surveillance drones, iPhone cracking devices and hacking software, some of it from Western countries that bar sales of such technology to Myanmar.
"Hundreds of pages of Myanmar government budgets for the last two fiscal years viewed by The New York Times show a voracious appetite for the latest in military-grade surveillance technology.
The documents, provided by Justice For Myanmar, catalog tens of millions of dollars earmarked for technology that can mine phones and computers, as well as track people’s live locations and listen in to their conversations. Two parliamentary budget committee members, who requested anonymity given the sensitive political climate, said these proposed budgets for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Transport and Communications reflected actual purchases."
Young Palestinians Are Leaning Into TikTok – Even if Their Content Gets Deleted (VICE News)
For Palestinians, most of whom are barred from returning to their homeland, social media platforms like TikTok can be a way of sustaining a shared cultural life and national identity.
"While TikTok has been a valuable platform for many Palestinians, it has recently come under criticism for the way it has handled the issue of digital rights. Ahmad Jarrar, the editor of QNN, a Palestinian news network which was deleted from TikTok earlier this year, says that the platform’s moderation policies remain frustratingly opaque."
Study finds that Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro carried out an ‘institutional strategy to spread the coronavirus’ (El Pais)
An investigation by NGO Conectas Derechos Humanos and São Paulo University has sought out the reasons behind the country’s Covid-19 death toll of more than 212,000 victims, as well as documenting the statements made by the president about the pandemic, vaccines and controversial ‘cures’
"The analysis shows that “the majority of deaths would have been avoidable with a strategy to contain the disease, and that this constitutes an unprecedented violation of Brazilians’ rights to life and to health.” And that this took place “without any of the administrators involved being held responsible, although institutions such as the Supreme Federal Court and the Federal Court of Accounts have countless times pointed out federal administrators’ conscious and deliberate conduct and omissions that clash with the Brazilian legal order.” It also highlights “the urgency of an in-depth discussion of the configuration of crimes against public health, crimes of responsibility and crimes against humanity committed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.”
The forbidden stories of Rappler.com (Forbidden Stories)
Here are five 'forbidden' stories on how journalist Maria Ressa and Rappler uncovered stories of the drug menace, human rights abuses and corruption under the Duterte administration in Philippines. Shared with the hashtag #AmplifyRappler, Forbidden Stories supported by Pulitzer center produced a five-part video series to amplify the reach of Rappler's investigations and to send a powerful message to President Duterte that Rappler is not alone in this journey.
"Recently nominated for the Nobel Prize, journalist Maria Ressa has been released on bail 10 times in less than 2 years. Her crime? Pursuing stories that challenge the Philippine authorities."
Meedan Updates
ICYMI: Elections in 2021: How Our Indian and African Partners Combat Misinformation
Election fact-checking comes with its own complexities. In India, the diversity of languages, cultural contexts and subnational political landscapes add to the challenges of monitoring and addressing misinformation, while Africa’s varied political landscapes have led to mixed results for fact-checkers, ranging from favourable to completely chaotic.
The increasing visibility of fact-checking, as well as misleading statements put out to influence voters, are likely to further worsen the already dire situation, and with five elections lined up in India and a host of elections in Africa scheduled for 2021, our partners have already devised their plans to tackle misinformation.