All Content Related to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:27:09 -0400

Background

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. It embraces a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam and has a strong religious self-identity. Political parties are banned and activists who publicly call for reform risk being jailed.1 Journalism is strictly controlled, and journalists must exercise self-censorship in order to avoid government scrutiny and dismissal.2

Despite substantial Saudi investment in pan-Arab satellite television such as the Dubai-based MBC channels and the Bahrain-based Orbit Satellite Network, the media environment within Saudi Arabia is likely the most tightly-controlled in the region. The kingdom's four TV networks, including news channel Al-Ikhbaria, and its radio stations are operated by the state-owned Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA), which is chaired by the Minister of Culture and Information.3 Private television and radio stations are prohibited on Saudi soil.4 However, the Saudi Minister of Culture and Information said in May 2009 an official committee was formed to study the draft privatization project of Saudi television and the Saudi News Agency, and that the Ministry was considering granting a number of radio licenses.5

Blogging has grown as a medium for expression in Saudi Arabia, with the number of bloggers reached an estimated 2,000 in 2006.6 Half of these bloggers are women.7 In 2005 the government tried to ban the country’s primary blogging tool, blogger.com.8 However, after a few days the ban was lifted, with the censors choosing to block specific content on the blogging Web site instead.9

The Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Saudi Arabia among the 10 worse countries to be a blogger, citing the widespread self-censorship and local calls by influential clerics for harsh punishment for online writers who post content deemed heretical.10

In November 2008, Saudi activists launched an online campaign to support human rights and called for a two-day public hunger strike to protest the detention without charges of human rights activists. The campaigned was highly publicized and received coverage from international media such as CNN, Washington Post and France24.11

Internet in Saudi Arabia

Since its creation in 1998, the state-run Saudi Telecom Company (STC) had been the sole provider of telecom services. However, in an effort to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), the government opened the telecommunication sector to competition in 2002.12 To enhance the ICT infrastructure in Kingdom, STC began the installation of IP-VPN service at various speeds of up to 2.5 gigabytes.13

The telecom sector continues to grow with relative consistency. Service revenues have climbed steadily at an annual average rate of nearly 15 percent since 2001. Despite high mobile revenues, the kingdom’s broadband penetration rate of about one percent remains well below the world average of five percent and the twenty percent benchmark of developed countries.14 This is likely to change, however, as advance ICT projects are introduced. These projects include STC’s launch of a home fiber- optic service providing fast Internet speed reaching 100MB per second for its clients in the Kingdom.15

The government’s Internet Services Unit (ISU), a department of the King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST), has been responsible for overseeing Internet services in Saudi Arabia and for implementing government censorship.16 As its Web site explains, twenty-five licensed Internet service providers (ISPs) connect users to the national network.17 In accordance with a Council of Ministers decision, the Saudi Communications Commission was renamed the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CTIC) and took charge of licensing and filtering processes previously managed by KACST.18

Due to numerous restrictions on the public interaction of unrelated men and women and the limited roles of women in open society, the Internet has not only emerged as a popular means of socialization but also one that is dominated by women. A local company estimated that two thirds of Saudi Internet users are women. Some Saudis believe that cyberspace has encouraged people to lead “double lives,” conducting themselves in a more conservative manner in the public eye while engaging in far more liberal behavior online.19

Legal and regulatory framework

Saudi newspapers are established by decree. Although pan-Arab newspapers are available, they are subject to censorship and tend to conform to the state's standards regarding the publication of sensitive content.20 Public criticism of the Saudi leadership and the questioning of Islamic beliefs are not generally tolerated, but in the post 9/11 era and amidst instances of internal militancy, a bolder and more candid approach has brought about at least some press and TV coverage of more controversial topics.21 This approach remains to be limited, though. For example, the Ministry of Culture and Information imposed in January 2008 a nationwide ban on all live broadcasts on Saudi public television just two days after disgruntled viewers called Al-Ikhbariya news channel and made critical remarks targeting senior Saudi officials. The ban prompted Reporters Without Borders to call for a reversal of the government's action and the reinstatement of the network's director, who had been fired after the incident.22

The Saudi government makes no secret of its filtering, which is explained on a section of the ISU Web site.23 According to this Web site, KACST is directly responsible for filtering pornographic content, while other sites are blocked upon request from “government security bodies.” The Web site also has forms by which Internet users can request that certain sites be blocked or unblocked. A KACST official said that, “the majority of blocked Web sites contain pornographic content, and over 90 percent of Internet users have tried to access a blocked Web site.”24 The censors rely on citizens who send in roughly 1,200 requests a day to have sites blocked.25

In January 2008, Saudi Arabia implemented 16 articles of new law on the use of technology. These laws include penalties of ten years in prison and a fine for Web site operators that advocate or support terrorism; three years and fine for financial fraud or invasion of privacy; and five years and fine for those guilty of distributing pornography or other materials that violate public law, religious values and social standards of the kingdom. Accomplices of the guilty parties and even those who are proven to have only intended to engage in unlawful IT acts can receive up to half of maximum punishments.26

Providers and distributors of Internet equipment can also be held liable under the new law, including internet café managers whose facilities are used to post content that infringes upon the “values” of the kingdom.27

The new law was implemented amidst global scrutiny of the landmark imprisonment of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad Al-Farhan, who was arrested by the Saudi government for violating “non-security regulations.” Al-Farhan is reported to have stated that he was arrested because he “wrote about political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.”28 Al-Farhan was freed after more than four months in prison.29

The new law has also been applied in nonpolitical cases. For example, a court fined a young man 50,000 Saudi Riyal (approximately USD 13,000) and sentenced him to 22 months in jail and 200 lashes after he was found guilty of breaking into a woman’s email account and stealing photos of her. The man threatened to post the photos online if the woman did not agree to have an affair with him.30

In July 2008, the Saudi authorities reportedly refused to renew the residence permit of an Egyptian national who had lived in Saudi Arabia for 44 years for writing in newspapers and on the Internet articles that are critical of the Egyptian regime.31 The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said the writer’s activities “only amount to writings about his concerns and opinions about Egypt and do not include any Saudi related matters.”32

In an unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia's National Human Rights Society announced attempts to have Web sites of Arab and international human rights organizations unblocked by the Saudi authorities.33 The chairman of the society said that they are aware of the blocking of Web sites of Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information inside Saudi Arabia. He added that, “blocking these sites is tantamount to depriving Saudi Arabia of its rights as a member of the UN Human Rights Council” and that “blocking those websites violates clause 19 of the International Human Rights Declaration, which deals with freedom of expression and clause 23 of the Arab Human Rights Charter.”34

In May 2009, thirteen Saudi women journalists filed complaints with the Ministry of Interior accusing the local online newspaper Kul Al-Watan (All of the Homeland) of “defaming and distorting the image of the Saudi media.” The Saudi women journalists said the online newspaper published an offensive report entitled “Saudi Women in Red Nights” in which it alleged that prostitution, alcohol and drugs have become widespread in Saudi society, and that women journalists rely on illicit relationships with newspaper bosses to get support and fame. One of the women journalists accused the writer of taking advantage of an absence of censorship on online publishing in Saudi Arabia.35

Just few days later the Minster of Culture and Information said Saudi Arabia intends to enact laws, regulation, and legislation for newspapers and Internet Web sites. This regulation will require Saudi based Web sites to get official licenses from a special agency under the purview of his Ministry. The Minister said the proposed regulation aims to deter “dangerous” writing in the newspapers and the Web sites.36

Surveillance

Like many countries in the Middle East, the Saudi authorities monitor Internet activities. In March 2009 the Ministry of Internet orders Internet cafés to install hidden cameras and provide a record of names and identities of their customers.37

The Saudi religious police have also expressed interest in practicing online surveillance. Members of the religious police (the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) asked the Chairman of the Saudi Shura (Consultative) Council to enable them to have access to blocked Web sites, “to monitor immoral practices by visitors of these sites.”38 The religious police argued that some male and female youngsters “get involved in negative practices away from the eyes of the Saudi authorities” on these blocked Web sites, so they want to put an end to the “immoral practices” online.39

The Chairman of the Saudi Shura Council however, questioned the legitimacy of the request and said, "These justifications must be supported by clear evidence, otherwise there is no need for it".40

ONI testing results

ONI conducted in-country testing on three ISPs: STC, National Engineering Services & Marketing (Nesma) and Arabian Internet and Communications Services (Awalnet). The three providers blocked the same Web sites, as expected given the centrally administered filtering system.

Using Secure Computing’s “SmartFilter” software for technical implementation and to identify sites for blocking, the Saudi censors have increased the number of targeted Saudi political reformists and opposition groups. In addition to the previously blocked sites such as the Web sites of the Islah movement (www.islah.tv and islah.info) and the Tajdeed movement (tagdeed.net), the authorities have added more opposition sites to the blocked sites. Examples include www.alumah.com and www.alhijazonline.com.

Phase 2 testing also revealed that the censors now target user-generated oppositional content such as the forum New Arabia (www.newarabia.org).

ONI monitored in-country access to the blog of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad Al-Farhan, who was jailed for more than four months. His blog was found to be blocked during his arrest and continued to be blocked even after he was released from prison.

Also, ONI verified that the Web site of the Voice of Saudi Women (www.saudiwomen.net) was blocked in October 2008. The Web site, according to Reporters Without Borders, published a number of analytical reports about the status of women in Saudi society, and it denounced impediments to women becoming effective actors in Saudi society.41

In keeping with the Saudi government’s emphasis on protecting the “sanctity of Islam” and the legitimacy of the regime, several religious sites are also blocked. These include sites relating to minority Shia groups (www.yahosein.com), the Bahai faith (www.bahai.com) and sites that espouse alternative views of Islam such as the Web site of the Institute for the Secularization of the Islamic Society (www.secularislam.org). Sites that present critical reviews of the religion of Islam and/or try to convert Muslims to other religions are also censored (answering-islam.org, www.islamreview.com).

The entire human rights Web site www.humum.net was found blocked in phase 2 results. Phase 1 results showed that only the Saudi page on the site was blocked. The site receives complains on human rights violations from Arab citizens and is run by the Cairo-based Arab Human Rights Information Network.

Most global media sites tested, including Israel-based news outlets such as the daily Haaretz (www.haaretz.com), were accessible. However, sites of few prominent Arabic newspapers and news portals were blocked. These include the Arab-language newspaper Al-Quds Al Arabi (www.alquds.co.uk) and the news portal Elaph (www.elaph.com). ONI found that access to Elaph was allowed few months after testing.

“Immoral” social content continues to be a priority target for Saudi censors. The vast majority of pornographic Web sites and most sites featuring provocative attire or gambling that were tested were blocked. Phase 2 testing showed that the censors have added forums which facilitate the exchange of Arabic explicit content.

Also blocked were numerous sites relating to alcohol and drugs, gays and lesbians, and sex-education and family planning. A substantial number of Internet tools, including anonymizers and translators, were filtered.

Conclusion

Saudi Arabia publically acknowledges censoring morally inappropriate and religiously sensitive material, but the authorities also filter oppositional political sites and sites focused on human rights issues. In addition, the state has introduced new surveillance measures at Internet cafés and has announced plans to start a system that will require local sites to register with the authorities.

Saudi citizens have started to use the Internet for online activism, but the authorities have arrested several online writers and blocked their content. A local human rights group expressed interest in legally challenging the government’s censorship of human rights sites.

Generally, Internet filtering in Saudi Arabia mirrors broader attempts by the state to repress opposition and promote a single religious creed.

1. “Country profile: Saudi Arabia,” BBC News, October 1, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791936.stm.
2. Reporters Without Borders, “Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2007,” http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20775&Valider=OK.
3. “Country profile: Saudi Arabia,” BBC News, October 1, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791936.stm.
4. Reporters Without Borders, “Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2006,” http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17185.
5. Khaled al Oweigan, “Saudi Arabia to Regulate Kingdom-Based Websites,” Assarq Alawsat, May 13, 2009, http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=5&id=16714.
6. Faiza Saleh Ambah, “New Clicks in the Arab World,” The Washington Post, November 12, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/11/AR200611....
7. Ibid.
8. Reporters Without Borders, “Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2007,” http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20775&Valider=OK.
9. Ibid.
10. Committee to Protect Journalists, “10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger,” April 30, 2009, http://www.cpj.org/reports/2009/04/10-worst-countries-to-be-a-blogger.ph....
11. Internet & Democracy Blog at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, “Saudi activists launch a daring and bold move to support human rights,” November 3, 2008, http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2008/11/03/saudi-activists-launch-a-....
12. “Saudi Arabia’s Telecom Sector Growing Rapidly,” Khaleej Times Online, March 24, 2008, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/20....
13. “STC to Continue Free Installation of IP-VPN Service,” Arab News, June 1, 2008, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=110452&d=1&m=6&y=2008.
14. “Saudi Arabia’s Telecom Sector Growing Rapidly,” Khaleej Times Online, March 24, 2008, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/20....
15. “STC starts fiber optic network for homes,” Saudi Gazette, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=20....
16. Internet Services Unit, King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology, http://www.isu.net.sa/.
17. Ibid.
18. The Communication and Information Technology Commission, http://www.citc.gov.sa/.
19. “Online Campaigns to Protect Girls from Scandals,” Arab News, April 4, 2008, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=108566&d=4&m=4&y=2008&....
20. “Country profile: Saudi Arabia,” BBC News, October 1, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791936.stm.
21. Ibid.
22. Reporters Without Borders, “Information Minister Bans Live Programmes on State Television,” February 1, 2008, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=25340.
23. Internet Services Unit, “Introduction to Content Filtering,” http://www.isu.net.sa/saudi-internet/contenet-filtring/filtring.htm.
24. “Most of Kingdom’s Internet users aim for the forbidden,” Arab News, October 2, 2005, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=71012&d=2&m=10&y=2005.
25. Peter Burrows, “Internet Censorship, Saudi Style,” Business Week, November 13, 2008, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_47/b4109068380136.htm?ch....
26. David Westley, ”Saudi Tightens Grip on Internet Use,” Arabian Business, January 26, 2008, http://www.arabianbusiness.com/509226-saudi-tightens-grip-on-internet-us....
27. Reporter Without Borders, “Blogger Fouad al Farhan Freed After More than Four Months in Prison,” April 28, 2008, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26746.
28. David Westley, ”Saudi Tightens Grip on Internet Use,” Arabian Business, January 26, 2008, http://www.arabianbusiness.com/509226-saudi-tightens-grip-on-internet-us....
29. Reporter Without Borders, “Blogger Fouad al Farhan Freed After More than Four Months in Prison,” April 28, 2008, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26746.
30. “Ahsa youth sentenced under cyber crime law,” Arab News, December 3, 2008, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=116942&d=3&m=12&y=2008....
31. The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, “The Arabic Network Calls on the Saudi Authorities to Annul the Decision to Expel Egyptian Resident Abdullah Al Khyat,” July 26, 2008, http://anhri.net/en/reports/2008/pr0726.shtml.
32. Ibid.
33. Mariam Al Hakeem, “Rights group seeks to unblock access to websites,” Gulf News, April 1, 2008, http://www.gulfnews.com/News/Gulf/saudi_arabia/10202016.html.
34. Ibid.
35. Najah Alosaimi, “Web newspaper charged with defamation,” Arab News, May 2, 2009, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=122106&d=2&m=5&y=2009&....
36. Khaled al Oweigan, “Saudi Arabia to Regulate Kingdom-Based Websites,” Assarq Alawsat, May 13, 2009, http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=5&id=16714.
37. OpenNet Initiative, “Restriction on Internet use in the Middle East on the rise: Internet cafés in Saudi must install hidden cameras,” April 16, 2009, http://opennet.net/blog/2009/04/restriction-internet-use-middle-east-ris....
38. Mariam Al Hakeem, “Religious police demand access to blocked websites,” Gulf News, August 28, 2008, http://archive.gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi_arabia/10240886.html.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid.
41. Reporters Without Borders, “Saudi Arabia: authorities block women’s rights website,” http://www.rsf.org/fil_en.php3?id_rubrique=682&mois=10.

Bahrain, Tunisia Filtering Individual Twitter Pages

Jillian C. York — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:03:13 -0500

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). In Tunisia, the accounts of exiled activist Sami Ben Gharbia (@ifikra), engineer @Ma7moud, and popular independent news source Nawaat (@nawaat) have been confirmed inaccessible, while in Bahrain @FreeBahrain was allegedly blocked on New Year's Day, but has since become accessible.

Twitter is no stranger to being blocked: Both China and Iran have blocked the social networking/microblogging site in the past, and Saudi Arabia reportedly blocked two individual Twitter users' pages in mid-2009. What is particularly interesting is that the governments of Tunisia and Bahrain have now demonstrated capability to block individual Twitter pages, thus silencing certain voices while still keeping a major communication platform open. Only time will tell if this is to become a trend globally.

Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia in 2006-2007

Rebekah Heacock — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:12:38 -0400

PDF Version
Note: a newer version of this profile is available at Country Profiles: Saudi Arabia.

Overview

Saudi Arabia has filtered the Internet since its introduction into the kingdom less than a decade ago. The filtering regime most extensively covers religious and social content, though sites relating to opposition groups and regional political and human rights issues are also targeted.

Background

Saudi Arabia is a monarchy without elected political institutions.1 The ruling Al Saud family has presided over the Islamic nation and accumulated a poor human rights record. At times there has been increased discussion of sensitive subjects, such as political reform and women’s rights. Despite explicit promises to improve the human rights situation, however, the government continues to maintain that such rights are subordinate to Islamic law and tightly limits political and religious freedom.2 Religious police, Mutawwa’in, are charged with enforcing public morality. A wide range of media, including books and films, are censored or banned. Arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions of political prisoners, corporal punishment, and the denial of basic conditions for fair trials make for a bleak judicial landscape.3 Journalism is strictly controlled and journalists must exercise self-censorship in order to avoid government scrutiny and dismissal.4 Most Saudis get their information from foreign television and the Internet, and—though officially banned—dish receivers are becoming increasingly common.5 Al-Jazeera, a Qatar-based Arab satellite television station, is banned in the country, and foreign journalists are rarely granted visas.6

Internet in Saudi Arabia

The belated arrival of the Internet in Saudi Arabia several years after its introduction into other Arab countries, was largely the result of the government’s concerns about regulating content. Since the year 2000, Internet usage has increased from less than 1 percent to more than 10 percent (over 2.5 million users) of the population.7 Telecom companies have begun taking advantage of the still relatively low penetration rate by unveiling 3G networks in the country.8 The government’s Internet Services Unit (ISU), a department of the King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST), has been responsible for overseeing Internet services in Saudi Arabia and for implementing government censorship.9 As its Web site explains, twenty-one licensed Internet service providers (ISPs) and one more not yet in service connect users to the national network.10 The ISU manages the link from the national network to international networks.11 In accordance with a Council of Ministers decision, the Saudi Communications Commission was renamed the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CTIC) and took charge of licensing and filtering processes previously managed by KACST.

Blogging has grown as a medium for expression in Saudi Arabia, with the number of bloggers tripling to an estimated 2,000.12 Half of these bloggers are women.13 In 2005 the government tried to ban the country’s primary blogging tool, blogger.com.14 However, after a few days the ban was lifted, with the censors choosing to block specific content on the blogging Web site instead.15 Paralleling the increase in Internet use has been a proliferation of Internet cafés. As hourly rates can be too expensive for average Saudis, some Internet cafés offer monthly subscriptions that are more affordable.16 From time to time, the authorities have shut down Internet cafés for reasons such as “immoral purposes.”17

Legal and regulatory frameworks

The government of Saudi Arabia allowed public access to the Internet only after it was satisfied that an adequate regulatory framework could be put in place. The authorities use Secure Computing’s SmartFilter software for technical implementation and to identify sites for blocking.18 Furthermore, the expertise of local staff and input of ordinary citizens aid the filtering regime. The government makes no secret of its filtering, which is explained on a section of the ISU Web site.19 According to this Web site, KACST is directly responsible for filtering pornographic content, while other sites are blocked upon request from “government security bodies.” The Web site also has forms by which Internet users can request that certain sites be blocked or unblocked. It has been noted by a KACST official that the majority of blocked Web sites contain pornographic content, and over 90 percent of Internet users have tried to access a blocked Web site.”20

In 2001 the Council of Ministers issued a resolution outlining content that Internet users are prohibited from accessing and publishing.21 Among other things, it forbids content “breaching public decency,” material “infringing the sanctity of Islam,” and “anything contrary to the state or its system.”22 The resolution also includes approval requirements for publishing on the Internet and mechanical guidelines for service providers on recording and monitoring users’ activities.23

A new law, approved by the Saudi Shoura (Advisory) Council in October 2006, criminalizes the use of the Internet to defame or harm individuals and the development of Web sites that violate Saudi laws or Islamic values, or that serve terrorist organizations.24

ONI testing results

Testing was conducted on two ISPs: National Engineering Services & Marketing (Nesma) and Arabian Internet and Communications Services (Awalnet). Both providers blocked the same Web sites, as expected given the centrally administered filtering system.

Testing indicates that the Web sites of Saudi political reformist and opposition groups, such as the Islah movement (www.islah.tv) and the Tajdeed movement (tagdeed.net), are targeted for blocking. In keeping with the Saudi government’s emphasis on protecting the “sanctity of Islam”25—and the legitimacy of the regime—sites relating to minority faiths or espousing alternative views of Islam are blocked. These include the Web sites of a number of local Shiite groups.

The Web pages of a few global free speech advocates, such as Article19 (www.article19.org) and the Free Speech Coalition (www.freespeechcoalition.com), are blocked. However, filtering of human rights content primarily targets Saudi or regional organizations. All Web pages of the Saudi Human Rights Center (www.saudihr.org) are blocked. Although the main pages of the Arab Human Rights Information Network and the Arabic rights organization Humum are accessible, the Saudi sections of the two sites, http://www.hrinfo.net/ifex/alerts/saudi and http://www.humum.net/country/saudi.shtml, are not.

Most global media sites tested, including Israel-based news outlets such as the daily Haaretz (www.haaretz.com), were accessible. However, the Arab-language news sites Al-Quds Al Arabi (www.alquds.co.uk) and Elaph (www.elaph.com) are blocked.

“Immoral” social content continues to be a priority target for Saudi censors. Over 90 percent of pornographic Web sites and most sites featuring provocative attire or gambling that were tested were blocked. Numerous sites relating to alcohol and drugs, gays and lesbians, and sex-education and family planning were also inaccessible. This pervasive filtering of social content is achieved through the use of SmartFilter software, which builds “blacklists” of sites from user-selected categories, such as Drugs, Gambling, Obscene, Nudity, Sex, and Dating. The substantial filtering of Internet tools, including anonymizers and translators, in Saudi Arabia is also achieved in this manner.

Conclusion

Saudi Arabia maintains a sophisticated filtering regime. Social content and Web-based applications are extensively filtered using commercial software. Additional political and religious sites are individually targeted for blocking. The result of this filtering system is consistent with the Saudi government’s express commitment to censoring morally inappropriate and religiously sensitive material online. More generally, Internet filtering in Saudi Arabia mirrors broader attempts by the state to repress opposition and promote a single religious creed.

NOTES

1. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005: Saudi Arabia, March 8, 2006, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61698.htm.
2. Amnesty International, Annual Report 2006: Saudi Arabia, http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/saudi_arabia/document.do?id=ar&yr=20....
3. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005: Saudi Arabia, March 8, 2006, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61698.htm.
4. Reporters Without Borders, Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2007, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20775&Valider=OK.
5. Reporters Without Borders, Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2006, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17185.
6. Ibid.
7. Internet World Stats, Internet Usage in the Middle East, http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats5.htm#me.
8. Wireless World Forum, “Telecom industry sees 3G boom in Saudi Arabia,” http://www.w2forum.com/i/Telecom_industry_sees_3G_boom_in_Saudi_Arabia.
9. Internet Services Unit, King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology, http://www.isu.net.sa/.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. The Washington Post, “New Clicks in the Arab World,” November 12, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/11/AR200611....
13. Ibid.
14. Reporters Without Borders, Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2007, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20775&Valider=OK.
15. Ibid.
16. The Baheyeldin Dynasty, “Saudi Arabia’s ISPs: Internet/Cyber Cafes,” http://baheyeldin.com/saisp/0006-cafes.phtml.
17. Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia: Human Rights Developments 2001, http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/saudi.html.
18. The OpenNet Initiative, Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia in 2004, http://www.opennetinitiative.net/studies/saudi/#toc1c.
19. Internet Services Unit, “Introduction to Content Filtering,” http://www.isu.net.sa/saudi-internet/contenet-filtring/filtring.htm.
20. Arab News, “Most of Kingdom’s Internet users aim for the forbidden,” October 2,2005, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=71012&d=2&m=10&y=2005.
21. Council of Ministers Resolution, Saudi Internet Rules, February 12, 2001, http://www.al-bab.com/media/docs/saudi.htm.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. Arab News, “Shoura approves law to combat e-crimes,” October 10, 2006, http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=87941&d=10&m=10&y=2006.
25. Council of Ministers Resolution, Saudi Internet Rules, February 12, 2001, http://www.al-bab.com/media/docs/saudi.htm.

The Worst Places to be a Blogger

Jillian C. York — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:34:30 -0400

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has just released a list of the ten worst countries in which to blog. Topping the list is Burma, followed closely by Iran, Syria, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Tunisia, China, Turkmenistan, and Egypt.

In determining the list, CPJ's staff and outside experts looked at a number of variables, including whether or not bloggers have been jailed in the country, whether they face harassment or other reprisals, and whether or not they self-censor.

While the countries represented by CPJ's list are certainly the worst, they are not the only countries in which bloggers face harassment, attacks, or prosecution...by far. Countries as diverse as Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Russia have also detained bloggers and other online journalists for offenses such as "insulting national feeling" and "criticizing police."

By far the saddest case thus far this year has been that of Omidreza Mirsayafi, the Iranian blogger jailed for "insulting national feeling." Mirsayafi died in early March, less than one month after he was imprisoned.

Photo Credit:Pensiero

Restriction on Internet use in the Middle East on the rise: Internet cafés in Saudi must install hidden cameras

Helmi Noman — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:53:51 -0400

In addition to technical filtering and surveillance practices, more countries in the Middle East impose restrictions on Internet use in cyber cafés. The latest example comes from Saudi Arabia where Internet cafés have been ordered by the Ministry of Interior to install hidden cameras and provide a record of names and identities of their customers, as reported by Saudi Gazette.

This latest crackdown on Internet use includes banning the use of prepaid cards or unlicensed satellite Internet other than the one certified for use by the café.

Also, Internet cafes will now have to close by midnight and users under 18 years will not be allowed entry into the cafés. The Saudi Gazette added that police have started visiting Internet cafés to issue the new regulations.

Saudi Arabia is not the first country to implement such a system. In March 2008, Jordan's Ministry of Interior ordered Internet cafés to install cameras to monitor users, and to register the users' personal data such as their names, phone numbers and time of use, as well as the IP number of the café and data of Web sites explored by the users, all on pretext of maintaining security.

Another example is Egypt where Internet cafés users are also required to provide their names, emails, and phone numbers before they can use the Internet.

Herdict Launches Arabic Site; Saudi Arabia Reports

Jillian C. York — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:27:29 -0400

Herdict Web, the proud child of ONI, has just launched its new Arabic user interface. In the past 24 hours since the launch, the Herdict team has been thrilled to note a high number of reports coming from the Middle East and North Africa, with Saudi Arabia as the front runner.

Saudi Arabia employs pervasive social filtering, as well as significant political filtering and filtering of Internet tools. Perhaps as a reflection of such circumstances, Herdict users in Saudi Arabia are leading the pack in reporting inaccessible sites. You can see all of the reports from Saudi Arabia here. Notably, the top reported sites for Saudi Arabia are local sites.

Internet Censorship in Saudi

charles — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:50:11 -0500

Saudi Arabia has one of the most restrictive Internet filters in the world, yet according to BusinessWeek news reports, the Saudi censorship regime is vastly unlike that of most countries. Employing a mere twenty-five people, the country’s Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) uses software to “block broad swaths” of the Internet, while relying on citizens who send 1,200 requests daily for offensive sites to be blocked to cover the rest of the Internet.

In addition to pornography and online gambling, which are filtered by the CITC software, Saudi citizens (mostly students and religious figures) voluntarily filter cites that they deem offensive, including those that violate religious and cultural mores. According to consultant Khalid Baheyeldin, “there’s a feeling of moral conviction that obliges people to have these sites blocked.”

As far as blogging is concerned, the majority of the country’s 2,000 bloggers post anonymously, fearing repercussions. Earlier this year a local blogger was jailed for advocating political reforms.

CITC states that only 40 percent of Saudi citizens are concerned with Internet filtration. Haitham Abu Aisha, general manager of a Riyadh ISP claims that censorship can be defined “in many ways.” “We want censorship of pornography and harsh ideas,” he continues. Regardless of the interpretation or voluntary aspect of Saudi’s censorship regime, this type of Internet filtration violates the right to free access of online content.

Saudi journalist to Western journalists in Beijing on Internet filtering: “quit your belly aching”

Helmi Noman — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:24:27 -0400

Saudi journalist Molouk Y. Ba-Isa wrote an interesting article in Saudi Arabia’s principal English daily (Arab News) in which she reminds the Western journalists covering the 2008 Olympics in Beijing that censorship for people like her in countries such as Saudi Arabia is a daily reality where they have to live and function, not just a matter of a limited time inconvenient.

The article raises a couple of interesting issues that are rarely discussed in the Saudi local press.

First, in addition to blaming Saudi “faceless bureaucrats” for imposing Internet filtering, she also blames the US corporations for exporting filtering technologies, and the US government for allowing the exportation of these technologies, “to be used to halt freedom of expression through the Internet for hundreds of millions of people.” This is probably the first time the Saudi media accuses the US companies of complicity of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. Usually the blame is put on the faceless bureaucrats and the security apparatus only.

Second, the journalist not only questions the sensibility of censoring foreign publications and filtering the Internet, but is also critical of the government spending "desperately needed resources" on such efforts and, as she put it, on protecting her morality, instead of allocating these resources to more important issues such as education, infrastructure, and health care. This is interesting because usually the Saudi media does not question the state filtering practices. Previous local reports have expressed concerns over overblocking but rarely are they so openly critical of the entire system.

It remains to be seen whether similar voices will continue to be heard in the Saudi local media, and whether the authorities will listen and respond to these concerns.

In the News: Hints of Net Liberalization in Certain Spaces, Increased Clamps in Others

nart — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 19:37:08 -0500

On top of all the excitement at WSIS, there have been some recent articles examining freedom of information on the Net in the Arab world and beyond.

The UAE has recently legalized VOIP, the technology that enables Internet telephony.

Arab News, the Saudi Arabian English daily, has attempted to highlight the benefits of cultural expression on the Internet. The newspaper recently published an article on Jasad Al-Thaqafa (note: in Arabic), the Saudi website that serves as a cultural forum for such areas as photography, art, poetry, fiction, and journalism. While the expression of ideas on the site is not unfettered (forum supervisors monitor topics for appropriateness and may even ban users in extreme cases), such an outlet may serve as significant to many who feel constrained by local media. Interestingly, a collection of short stories from the website, entitled "The Spinning Wheel" will be published and sold in local Saudi Arabian bookstores. The original volume was slated to contain 34 stories--but half were rejected due to censorship and will not be published domestically. As a result, while the site is still subject to the widescale filtering that occurs in Saudi Arabia, citizens may very well have greater access to cultural information on the net than in traditional printed media.

Such access may not come without recourse. A Voice of America story reports that certain countries are seeking to quiet "outspoken bloggers" and curb political dissent.
While Saudi Arabia has only recently allowed access to some popular blogging sites, it continues to routinely block over 400,000 sites, undoubtedly including blogs. Providing access to such tools might be a step in the right direction, but the security implications for bloggers are far from clear. According to the Committee to Protect Bloggers, Iran has arrested over 20 bloggers for publicly criticizing the regime during the past year alone. The implications for not blogging anonymously in regimes that have such laws can be huge--advocates encourage bloggers to do so by using anonymous email addresses, secure proxies, and not disclosing any personal information in the process.

Another recent report indicates that most Net users in Saudi Arabia are prevented from visiting sites they seek to view. Of the estimated 2.2 million users in the country, 92.5% attempt gain access to blocked websites. With so many people trying to access filtered content, societal norms may not very well be in line with those of the authorities making these determinations.

The Market for Unfiltered Internet Access

nart — Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:08:29 -0500

Foreign Policy writes about the market for access to blocked Web sites in states that filter the Internet. The piece relies on ONI's Saudi Arabia research and quotes principal investigator Ron Deibert.