Social Media Works in Mysterious Ways: the Monday Round-Up

Our team is making our staff aware (very aware) about digital security this week. Follow the hashtag #NDISecure to see what our staff is learning, and here are some of the other news stories that have caught our eye this week:

• International fiber-optic cables have made the Internet more widely available to the African continent, especially in recent years. A report by Peter Lange reviews Internet development statistics in Africa, while The Economist has an informative infographic (and article) showing the state of democracy across Africa.
• CIMA releases a new report detailing the role of digital media in the Arab world, one year after the revolutions.
• A bill on "information-technology crimes" with broad wording and harsh punishments is due to come before Iraq's parliament in April. The bill could severely restrict basic freedoms and limit Internet use for Iraqi citizens.
• Yoani Sanchez, a popular Cuban blogger, sees the Pope's upcoming visit as the perfect opportunity for the rest of the world to see the "real situation" in the island nation.
• Internet companies in China are punished for "permitting the spread of unfounded rumors," while Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pushing ahead to enter the Chinese market.
• Read Write Web has published a helpful guide to Facebook's new privacy guidelines.
• InterMedia releases a guide to building support for international development. The report analyzes the dynamics of issues engagement with interested citizens, influentials, and government decision-makers.
• A report from the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA) examines the status of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan from September 2010 to March 2012.
• Young protesters in Angola have been leveraging social media in demonstrations calling for democratic change, while a Dubai official accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of using social media to stir up violence and weaken the UAE.
• Syrian activists continue to face digital attacks, with reports from EFF of phishing attacks through Facebook targeting these activists. 
• What your mobile phone says about you and your data. 
• Front Line Defenders has published a guide for practical steps for human rights defenders at risk.
• Google has released a handy new tool that lets you see your recent account activity.
• Iranian food critic Mr. Taster uses VPNs to access Facebook to build a following, despite Iran's bans on social media websites.
• The Women's Media Center uses Ushahidi technology to create a crowdsourcing map that reports sexualized violence in Syria.
• A good reminder to be cautious when scanning QR codes - they could contain malware.