In case you missed the important & interesting stories we covered this weekend, a quick 🧵, starting with this story from our Statelessness Spotlight about difficult, delayed citizenship processes in Assam, India.

Citizenship in limbo: Why Assam’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) Pathway struggled to gain traction

While Assam’s government urged residents to utilize the Citizenship Amendment Act, widespread fears of undermining existing legal claims and forced migrant status led many families to avoid the proces...

globalvoices.org

I am actively securing my next position, primarily targeting Director of Programmes or Head of Global Operations roles in the digital rights & open-knowledge sectors. If you are aware of any opportunities, please send the details or help me connect. Here is my LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ircpresid...

CITR just submitted a request to intervene on behalf of technology researchers in the X v. European Commission case to explain the importance of the DSA’s data access rules to the CJEU. (⅓) independenttechresearch.org/citr-members...

Hey I interviewed a queer Yemeni man, who spent nearly 3 years in ICE detention before being granted asylum. He’s looking for therapy— do we know a Queer Arab or queer affirming Arab therapist who’d be willing to take him on? He has Medicaid so it’d have to be that pro bono

We cannot do this work without you! globalvoices.org/donate/

Donate · Global Voices

Support freedom of expression for everyone, everywhere, by donating to Global Voices.

globalvoices.org

Part of our Global Crisis, Local Action Spotlight, showcasing positive community initiatives on climate in the Global Majority! globalvoices.org/special/posi...

Global crisis, local solutions · Global Voices

Through this series, we will not just lay out the problems surfacing because of the climate crisis, but also explore the solutions: what is being built, grown, fought for, and imagined from the ground...

globalvoices.org

Doctora Malka Older@older.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A collaborative story of wild horses in Central Asia, women-led rhino-protection in India, community support to big cats in Russia, a campaign against eating endangered sea species in Venezuela, & more examples of local community involvement making a difference! globalvoices.org/2026/05/28/c...

A collaborative story of wild horses in Central Asia, women-led rhino-protection in India, community support to big cats in Russia, a campaign against eating endangered sea species in Venezuela, & more examples of local community involvement making a difference! globalvoices.org/2026/05/28/c...

Countless endangered species are making a comeback due to global conservation efforts

These success stories are a model for community-rooted conservation and population revival that could help other countries and regions rebuild their withering ecosystems.

globalvoices.org

Thanks @globalvoiceslingua.bsky.social friends @ircpresident.bsky.social and his team 🙏🏻 for the #Arabic translation of my latest story on @globalvoices.org about Sportellino 🇮🇹👌🏻⤵️ ar.globalvoices.org/2026/05/17/9...

‘Sportellino’ روبوت دردشة يعمل بالذكاء الاصطناعي يساعد المهاجرين لتسهيل البيروقراطية الإيطالية

ar.globalvoices.org

We have the pleasure to add an Arabic translation to our line-up: zenodo.org/records/2... . Thanks to Gohary Mohamed ElGohary for doing this. 2/6

We need responsible, multi-perspective news now more than ever. @GlobalVoices.org has just announced 'Spotlight', a new monthly series exploring critical global themes. Their first issue tackles AI, while next month will focus on climate solutions. Support their vital work!

Announcing Global Voices Spotlight!

We are launching a new approach to our mission of amplifying the voices of those underrepresented in the digital sphere: Global Voices Spotlight.

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From stories of resistance in Afghanistan to cultural battles in Russia, and from farmers in Cameroon to activists in Vietnam, this month GV brought together voices navigating crisis, resilience, and change. These are not distant headlines: they are lived realities, told by those closest to them.

Can Lebanon survive the digital war? A crucial op-ed on why acknowledging this digital frontline is the first step towards building genuine resilience

[Opinion] Can Lebanon Survive the Digital War? - SMEX

Lebanon is not just facing a direct military escalation. It is living through an Israeli-led digital war which is reshaping...

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Thanks @globalvoices.org in #Arabic (@ircpresident.bsky.social and his team!) for translating my story about the #US #China tech war! 👇 ar.globalvoices.org/2026/03/17/9...

تقرير عالمي عن الحقوق الرقمية يكشف عن تحسن غير متوقع في مستوى الشفافية لدى عمالقة التكنولوجيا الصينيين

على الرغم من أن هذه التغييرات تُطبَّق أساسًا لتحسين أداء الشركات في أسواق الأسهم، فإنها قد تؤثر بشكل كبير في حياة المستخدمين على الإنترنت.

ar.globalvoices.org

NEW: The Trump administration is seeking to oust the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, in its talks with Cuban political leaders. It plans to allow the Castro family to keep power if they agree to economic changes, creating a client state for the US. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/w...

Trump Administration Said to Tell Cuba That Its President Has to Go

nytimes.com

Stop chasing every fire. If you are the only one holding everything together, your leadership style might be a liability. Read this excellent breakdown on how to step back, build a resilient team, and redefine what it means to be a reliable leader bit.ly/4bHqJfQ

When Being the Most Reliable Leader Becomes a Liability

When an organization faces turbulence like leadership turnover, political infighting, or broken processes, it instinctively leans on its most competent people to restore stability. These leaders…

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As authorities in Iran plunge the country into a near-total comms blackout, the need for resilient, censorship-resistant technology has never been greater. @AccessNow is urging the prioritisation of Direct-to-Cell satellite tech to #KeepItOn during crises.

Access Now demands end to Iran’s continued internet blackout amid war

Access Now condemns the ongoing near-total internet shutdown in Iran and urgently calls on authorities to immediately restore full internet access.

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New findings confirm that the phones of an Italian journalist and two immigration activists were simultaneously infected with commercial spyware. We need urgent, binding regulations to stop governments from weaponising these tools against dissent.

Italian activists and journalist targeted by spyware in 2024, prosecutors confirm

Investigation finds three were hacked by Paragon spyware at same time, potentially fuelling questions for government

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Unregulated commercial surveillance is a direct threat to human rights globally. Discover the chilling new findings on how governments in Angola and Kenya are using sophisticated spyware to compromise the safety of prominent critics and journalists

The spy in your pocket: How mercenary malware is silencing African dissent

From remote Predator infections in Angola to physical device ‘cracking’ in Kenya, new forensic reports expose how governments are utilising sophisticated commercial tools to shadow journalists and…

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A new piece by Nikolaj Nielsen details how the EU is moving to allow the imprisonment of migrant families & minors for up to 2 years under a harsh new deportation bill. Read the breakdown of what this means for refugees & migrants

EU moves to allow two years’ jail for families facing deportation

The vote on the return regulation on Monday in the European Parliament civil liberties committee now sets the legal stage for likely deportation facilities abroad, as the European Union cracks down…

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Scanning propaganda QR codes poses a severe threat to your digital and physical security. SMEX has issued a vital guide on how to clear your device of potential trackers if you have interacted with these links. Contact their Digital Safety Helpdesk if you need immediate support buff.ly/uQoWIAS

SMEX warns of risks related to scanning QR codes on Israeli leaflets

Here are some detailed tips:

smex.org

The mercenary spyware industry is deploying vast resources to influence democratic decision-making. Read this comprehensive breakdown of NSO Group’s multi-million dollar lobbying campaign to re-enter the US market and avoid accountability bit.ly/416mF2w

Will NSO’s US Lobbying Pay Off Under Trump?

Now, with Friedman, a seasoned Trump insider, at its helm, NSO might finally achieve its long-awaited US comeback, writes Vas Panagiotopoulos.

techpolicy.press

The Coalition for Independent Technology Research has filed a lawsuit with the @knightcolumbia.org and @protectdemocracy.org challenging a US State Department policy to revoke or deny visas of non-citizen researchers because of their work studying the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)

Please share!

The Coalition for Independent Technology Research@thecoalition.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The Coalition for Independent Technology Research has filed a lawsuit with the @knightcolumbia.org and @protectdemocracy.org challenging a US State Department policy to revoke or deny visas of non-citizen researchers because of their work studying the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)

sending out copies of COUNTERREVOLUTION IN EGYPT: Sisi’s New Republic by Hossam el-Hamalawy (out May 5th, from @versobooks.bsky.social) this week! let me know if you’d like a review copy

Weaponised communications are being used to spread panic in Lebanon. From drone signal interception to caller ID spoofing, read this breakdown of how these threatening messages operate & the steps you must take to protect your safety

Threatening messages target Lebanese phones: delivery tactics and safety guidance - SMEX

With the recent escalation of Israel’s war, Lebanon’s residents have reported receiving threatening phone calls and text messages asking them...

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Billed as a public utility, weaponised as a state mouthpiece. Meduza’s latest feature exposes the reality behind Russia’s national messenger app and the broader push for domestic digital surveillance

Russia’s ‘national messenger’ was billed as a platform for the people. It’s dominated by state-run channels. — Meduza

Roughly 70 percent of the channels on Russia’s “national messenger,” Max, were registered by government agencies and public institutions at the authorities’ behest, according to an analysis by the…

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We cannot let the EU codify the criminalisation of undocumented people. Read this alarming breakdown of how new policies are building a surveillance-driven deportation machine that threatens fundamental rights for all.

How the EU is building a dystopian, surveillance-driven, deportation machine

Like much recent EU migration legislation, the proposal was presented without a comprehensive fundamental rights impact assessment. Sixteen UN experts have already raised concerns about its…

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When the internet is shut down, democracy is left in the dark. Read the latest findings on the devastating reality of election-period internet blackouts in Uganda, and why we must fight to protect digital rights.

NO SIGNAL, NO VOICE: New Report Documents Election-Period Internet Shutdown in Uganda : Unwanted Witness

Kampala-Uganda, 23 February 2026: Unwanted Witness (UW) and the Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) today release […]

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The internet blackout in Iran is a profound human rights crisis. Discover the devastating reality of this "complete silence" and the urgent need to defend digital rights

"We are suffering from complete silence": Internet blackout in Iran continues

Since airstrikes on Iran began, there has once again been no internet access in the country. Now warnings are issued about consequences, reports sound dramatic.

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The fight against authoritarian censorship is a daily battle. Read how brave reporters are defying unprecedented internet blackouts in Iran to ensure their stories are heard and human rights abuses are documented.

How Journalists Are Reporting From Iran With No Internet

After strikes killed senior Iranian officials, Iran cut off internet access. Journalists are relying on satellite links, encrypted apps, and smuggled footage to report from inside the country.

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