New Era

P A G E 3 3 | N E W E R A
Y A R E N A L T U N K I R A N
In some cases, citizen
journalism can serve as
a means of
circumventing censorship
and bringing important
information to light that
might otherwise be
suppressed. However,
citizen journalism can
also be a target of
censorship, particularly if
it is perceived as a
threat to governments or
other powerful actors. This can involve blocking access to websites or social
media accounts, arresting or harassing individuals who produce or share citizen
journalism content, or spreading misinformation or propaganda to discredit citizen
journalism.
For example, measures or blocks such as the broadcasting ban and
slowing down the Internet speed that came after the explosion in Taksim in
recent days were met with reaction by the community on Twitter and other
social media platforms. People got to the information through people who
were close to the crime scene. In the face of these blocks and censors, we
can see that VPN (Virtual Private Network) usage has increased in people.
On November 13, the day of the Taksim bomb attack, VPN demand in Turkey
increased by 853 percent.
A VPN, or Virtual Private
Network, is a tool that allows you to
connect to the internet via a secure,
encrypted connection. This can be
useful in a number of situations,
including:
1. Protecting your online privacy and security: When you use a
VPN, your internet traffic is routed through a secure server,
making it difficult for anyone to monitor or intercept your
online activity.
2. Bypassing internet censorship: In some countries, the
government censors certain websites or types of content.
By using a VPN, you can access these websites as if you
were located in a different country where the censorship
does not apply.