YVONNE EPPS WRITES — The results are in and, what do you know? Vietnam isn’t stepping forward to receive the award for Most Hypocritical Media Censorship! I’m sorry Mama Dinh; we really tried our best. Blogger activist, Dinh Nhat Uy, was given a 15-month suspended sentence and home arrest along…
Tag: Facebook
LEBANON: Apologize to Hezbollah or Face Social Unrest?
NICOLE SABA WRITES – How could a skit lead to violent protests? Just ask the Lebanese! According to the Daily Star, a recent episode of the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International’s (LBCI) show, “Basmat Watan” included impersonations of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, as well as the Prophet Jonah, causing much unrest…
PHILIPPINES: AQUINO NEEDS TO BE MORE PRESIDENTIAL
TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – Talk of a possible impeachment of President Benigno S. Aquino is making the rounds among the Philippines citizenry. It stems from allegations that Aquino mishandled funds from a controversial government works project known as the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or DAP. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago set tongues wagging…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: ADU ‘Likes’ Its Status As Leader in Social Media Usage
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – Abu Dhabi University’s status was updated to “feeling social” last week after Facebook data revealed that the institution accounts for 80% of all social media involvement among other universities in the surrounding area. In respect to this extensive usage, the 2013 Arab Social Media Report recognized Arabic as social…
TAIWAN: Plurk – or Tweet?!
BRIAN CANAVE WRITES — Taiwanese netizens are obsessed with social media and social media giants, Facebook and Twitter, do not fail to recognize this. This is in lieu to Facebook and Twitters announcements to further tap into the potential of Taiwanese markets. But why are these companies so eager to have…
AFGHANISTAN: Social Media Summit Praises Positive Impact
VITTO BANEZ WRITES – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vine are all social apps used to connect with friends, but Afghanistan says they’re more than that. The country aimed to promote these sites as democratizing tools through a recent summit. “Paiwand,” which translated to English means “connection,” was held on September…
HONG KONG: Elephant Alibaba Roars at Hong Kong Exchange
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – A co-founder of Chinese Internet giant Alibaba took to the blogosphere September 26 to criticize Hong Kong regulators. His complaint? The region’s market regulations are too restricting for the biggest IPO since Facebook. At issue are complex rules about the corporate ownership structure of a firm…
SINGAPORE: Un-Neighborly Brawl Goes Facebook Viral
STEPHANIE GARCIA WRITES – There are all types of neighbors, ones that lend a cup of sugar, ones whose names we never learn, and ones who play their music loudly. Of course, the worst of all are the ones who play their music loudly and then physically abuse their elderly…
INDIA: Elections Go Online, But Will It Matter?
AUSTIN SZABO WRITES – If you live in India, expect a “friend request” from your local representative. The upcoming 2014 election will see an explosion of social media campaigning, according to The Times of India. India’s Bharatiya Janata and Congress parties are scrambling to woo internet users. From local politicians getting in touch directly…
MYANMAR: A News Revolution but Social Media Takes the Lead
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD-CONTREAU WRITES – It was less than a year ago that Myanmar was celebrating the return of print media, but is seems that social media has already made these sources obsolete. With an increase in freedom and an opening of the trade market, the population in Myanmar has been…
MYANMAR: Hackers Gonna Hack
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD-COINTREAU WRITES – In the past few weeks, a group of cyber hackers has made a name for itself across the world. The Myanmar Muslim Cyber Force (MMCF), has been multiplying its attacks, as its Facebook page boastfully confesses. The group refers to its actions as “targeting all racist…
PHILIPPINES: Social Media Slaps Sticky Fingers in ‘Pork Barrel Scam’
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – Gone are the days of handing out flyers or haranguing your friends on the phone to support a worthy cause. Now all it takes to turn out a mega-march is a juicy scandal and populist call to arms on Facebook and Twitter. Filipinos gathered August 26…
JAPAN: Who Needs Real “Likes” When You Have Cash?
JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – Can you call yourself popular when most of your fans are fake? As more businesses and politicians are seeking attention via social media, services selling Facebook “Likes” and Twitter followers are appearing. The Yomiuri Shimbun, one of Japan’s leading dailies, interviewed one purveyor of Internet fame,…
PHILIPPINES: Bright Future with Broadened Media Freedom
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – Gone is the fear of being imprisoned for liking an offensive photo on Facebook. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is revising the currently suspended 2012 Cybercrime Law and in the process has dropped the provision penalizing online libel. According to Geronimo Sy, head of the DOJ…
VIETNAM: Idol Culture Threatened by K-Pop Sensations
YVONNE EPPS WRITES – The Vietnamese Idol culture might have some competition from some neighbors whose intentions might be more hostile than sensational. Last month, Vietnam Net Bridge covered a story on “Idol culture” in Vietnam where it was found that fan clubs obsessively love their respective idols like…
VIETNAM: Beijing Ultra-Nationalist Acts Like a Bow-Wow
Maritime disputes are heating up between China, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, all because of a sign. In February, an international outrage surged when a Beijing restaurant manager refused to apologize after removing a racist sign that excludes citizens of states in maritime disputes with China, and dogs. The sign…