Weekly Roundup 7/18/2016

Good morning, Readers! This past Friday evening (Turkish local time), tanks rolled on to the streets in the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul, marking the first coup led by members of Turkey’s own military in over 35 years. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube fell silent later in the evening, which further sparked outrage and elicited violent responses. According to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, at least 290 individuals died, and more than 1,400 were wounded.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to the nation on CNNTurk through Facetime just after midnight. Erdoğan’s address beckoned citizens to take to the streets in defense of their government. Moreover, a text was sent to every mobile phone in the country, echoing this message. Some suggest the Turkish coup would have succeeded were it not for the measures that Erdoğan executed using technological platforms.

Tech News:

• Media and the Development Challenge: New frontiers in international media development research

• Banning Social Media Is Quickly Becoming a Trend in Africa. So Who's Next?

• DARPA Hopes Automation Can Create the Perfect Hacker

• 9 Data Sets to Improve Your ICTforAg Programs

• From recycled houses to solar-powered fridges: 5 tech startups changing the world

• Push for more women on tech boards gains steam

• North Korea’s Illicit Internet

Civic Tech:

• Congratulations to Bhutan! Now a Global ICTforAg Leader

• 5 Takeaways for Improving Media Coverage for Syrian Women

• Media (R)evolutions: Citizens Are Eager to Interact With Their Cities But Need Greater Access to Digital Platforms

• Ethiopia Shuts Down Social Media to Keep From 'Distracting' Students

• German Police Carry out Nationwide Crackdown on Internet Hate Speech

• U.N. passes landmark resolution condemning internet shutdowns