A group in France has released a handbook for “cyber-dissidents” to aid them in avoiding censors:
A Paris-based media watchdog released a handbook on Thursday to help cyber-dissidents and bloggers avoid political censorship in countries as far apart as China, Iran, Vietnam and Cuba.
The guide, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) with the backing of the French government, identifies bloggers as the “new heralds of free expression” and offers advice on how to set up a blog and run it anonymously.
“Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure,” wrote Julien Pain, head of RSF’s Internet Freedom Desk. “Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.”
The “Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents” can be downloaded from the RSF website (www.rsf.org), and the media organisation says it is available in English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Farsi.
The guide is based on technical advice from experienced bloggers and experts, and provides personal accounts by bloggers such as Arash Sigarchi, who received a 14-year-jail sentence in Iran last February but is free pending an appeal.
It is news like this that reaffirms my appreciation for free speech.