In 2008, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority blocked YouTube in what was said to be a reaction to a trailer of Geert Wilder's film "Fitna" hosted on the video-sharing site. The ban was reversed soon afterward, and since then, Pakistani users have enjoyed unfettered access to YouTube...until now.
The OpenNet Initiative is proud to release its 2009 Year in Review, a look into cases of filtering, surveillance, and information warfare around the world in 2009. From the Iran's Internet crackdown to Vietnam blocking Facebook, the events of 2009 demonstrated a global rise in third-generation Internet controls.
The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) has been monitoring Internet filtering around the world since 2002. Currently, more that 40 countries are filtering the Internet to varying degrees, while a number of others, including Australia, Iraq, and Spain, are considering enacting filtering policies. So, just how many people are censored online around the world? The number we have come up with is 563,018,414.
Jordan has long stood out as a beacon in a region of heavy Internet filtering. Bordered by--among others--Syria and Saudi Arabia, two of the Middle East's worst offenders, Jordan has filtered only one Web site, arabtimes.com, for the past decade.
That is all about to change.
Following Google's decision, published on the Official Google Blog, to stop filtering search results on Google.cn, it appears that the Great Firewall is now blocking "Google Blog" as a search term.
In an announcement made January 12, 2010, Google stated that it would no longer submit to the Chinese government's requirements that it censor results on Google.cn. The decision could have far-reaching implications.
Over the past few weeks, reports have trickled in to Herdict and via Twitter, alerting us of the filtering of individual Twitter pages in Tunisia and Bahrain (as well as, possibly, China). The filtering shows these governments' capability to silence individual voices whilst keeping open an important social networking channel.
By banning access to the Web site of Rachad Movement, Algeria joins an increasingly expanding list of government Internet censors in the Middle East and North Africa.
Turkmenistan blocked access to YouTube video services and service for bloggers, LiveJournal, says Ferghana.Ru news agency.
According to the agency, the decision adopted state company "Turkmen", which is the only provider in the country.
As celebrated today on iTWire, Australian and international activists are fighting Australia's impending filtering policy on Twitter. Users opposing the filter are using the hashtag #nocleanfeed to disseminate information, and to fight against the filter.
