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ONI Releases 2009 Year in Review: Filtering, Surveillance, Information Warfare

Jillian C. York — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:28:13 -0500

The OpenNet Initiative is proud to release its 2009 Year in Review, a look into instances of filtering, surveillance, and information warfare around the world in 2009.

The events of 2009 demonstrated a global rise in third-generation Internet controls. Within the first two weeks of January 2009, both Pakistan and Thailand had ordered the filtering of several Web sites, and Germany announced plans to filter certain types of pornography, garnering outrage from free speech activists. By mid-year, the events surrounding the elections in Iran had taken center stage, prompting Iranian authorities to crack down on Internet use and sparking outrage throughout the world, which then rippled through social media.

The OpenNet Initiative estimates that at the end of 2009, 32% of all Internet users were accessing a filtered version of the Internet.

More than half a billion Internet users are being filtered worldwide

Jillian C. York — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:45:44 -0500

The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) has been monitoring Internet filtering around the world since 2002. Currently, more than 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? We have estimated a number based on the number of Internet users that reside in countries which practice substantial filtering--in terms of the number of sites and/or type of content blocked. The number we have come up with is 563,018,414, or approximately 32% of all Internet users.

This number necessarily includes several subjective decisions. We have not included countries, such as the Nordic countries and the UK, that block a modest number of sites alleged to include child pornography. We have not included Germany, which blocks a small number of sites related to extremist groups, and Russia which has just started on a path to do the same. North Korea is omitted from the list. There is also an untold number of users from countries around the world who have no access to the Internet at all due to an unknown combination of poverty, geography and deliberate neglect by governments that would prefer to keep their citizens offline. Nevertheless, this is a huge and growing number.

Iran and Web Proxies

charles — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:18:46 -0400

Iran’s Internet censorship regime is generally accepted to be one of the most aggressive in the world, yet according to the New York Times, by autumn 2008, more than 400,000 Iranians were able to access an uncensored web thanks to a software created by Chinese computer experts working for Falun Gong.

This software is not unique. Several other projects offer a similar product. The Tor Project offers software originally developed at the US Naval Research Lab that can be used to send messages secretly or reach blocked websites. Moreover, scientists at the University of Toronto have developed a program called Psiphon that enables users to evade firewalls using only a web browser.

A warning on Psiphon’s website indicates the substantial risk involved: “Bypassing censorship may violate law. Serious thought should be given to the risks involved and potential consequences.”

The software enables the end user to connect to a computer abroad and then redirects the request to a censored site.

Ultimately, computing limitations proved to be a temporary setback. By January 2009, Falun Gong servers lacked the power to continue provision to Iran, resulting in a shutdown of the service in all countries except China.

Website Blockings in Bahrain

charles — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:19:04 -0500

A new government crackdown by Bahrain’s Ministry of Information has led to the blocking of over 60 websites ranging from Google Translate to social, political, religious, and human rights sites, according to the Bahrain Human Rights Society and Global Voices Online, a network dedicated to defending free speech worldwide.

The Ministry of Information’s January 14th missive ordered ISPs to block access to certain political and commercial websites, stating as well that only the Ministry itself could reverse the decision to block access to a website. Proxy websites (those that enable users to step around censorship) have also been blocked since the directive was issued.

The following message appears when users try to access a blocked website: “Site Blocked: This website has been blocked by the order of the Ministry of Culture and Information based on Article 19 of decree Law No. 47, 2002 regarding the organisation of the press, printing and publishing in the Kingdom of Bahrain, due to the publication of prohibited content on the aforementioned site.”

Law No. 47 of 2002 enables the government to shut down a publication or website deemed to have attacked the government, the official state religion, public decency, or other religions in a matter likely to disturb the peace. According to Reporters without Borders, officials can order such closures without referring to a court first.

A new media law currently before parliament would protect Internet sites and publications from summary closure by the government without court hearing.