Internet culture

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan

TikTok can be a ‘dangerous tool for hatemongers,’ Kenyan govt warns ahead of elections

Social media

A new Mozilla Foundation report states that election disinformation and hate speech are being spread through TikTok in the run up to elections in Kenya next month. After violence erupted during 2007 elections, the government created an agency to quell ethnic strife, and it warns against a repeat of the unrest.

Silhouettes of laptop users

Facebook content moderators sue over psychological trauma

Justice
A red map of China seen through a magnifying glass on computer screen showing binary digits

China exports its restrictive internet policies to dozens of countries, says Freedom House

Global Politics
a boy scouts of america uniform

Why the Russians might hack the Boy Scouts next

Commentary
Sunflower

Why taking a sunflower selfie this year might cost you

Participants take a selfie during an etiquette class by former Australian model June Dally-Watkins in Guangzhou, China October 8, 2017.

Is one selfie app company changing beauty standards in China?

Culture

More than half of selfies uploaded on Chinese social media are believed to have been edited using apps created by Meitu. The Chinese company has been around for just about a decade, but some say its products are changing beauty standards in China.

Rafida Ahmed, lost her thumb during an attack by jihadi assailants in Bangladesh. Ahmed's husband, Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born U.S. citizen and blogger was killed in that attack.

Another blogger — the third this year — is hacked to death in Bangladesh

Conflict

Since the beginning of this year, three bloggers have been hacked to death in Bangladesh. They were attacked on busy streets and in broad day light. Many say the Bangladeshi government is not doing enough to protect the country’s bloggers.

Justin Hall

One of the Internet’s first bloggers reflects on 20 years of blogging

Culture

Justin Hall got on the Internet in 1994 and became one of the Internet’s earliest bloggers. But he quickly realized a lesson most social media users today learn: Just because you can post something on the Internet, doesn’t mean you should.

A man in a Guy Fawkes mask smokes while joining supporters of the Anonymous movement taking part in the global "Million Mask March" protests in New York, on November 5, 2014.

For many geeks, Anonymous is the gateway drug to political and social activism

Technology

Anonymous has evolved from a band of online pranksters into a legitimate group focused on social activism. But just how much impact is it making? It’s uneven, but that doesn’t mean the group isn’t making a difference, especially in the lives of budding activists.

In ‘Twitch Plays Pokemon,’ a million people played one character in a 16-day videogame

Lifestyle & Belief

“Twitch plays Pokemon” was the idea of an anonymous programmer in Australia. He modified one of the original Pokemon games made for the Game Boy and launched it on the Internet. During the last few weeks, around a million players tried to control one character in the same videogame at the same time. Millions more watched and argued about the game.”Twitch plays Pokemon” was the idea of an anonymous programmer in Australia. He modified one of the original Pokemon games made for the Game Boy and launched it on the Internet. During the last few weeks, around a million players tried to control one character in the same videogame at the same time. Millions more watched and argued about the game.