for religious, moral, and cultural reasons is pervasive in many countries, and is
growing.
Though many governments acknowledge social filtering, most continue to disguise
their political filtering practices by attempting to confuse users with various error
messages.
The absence of technical filtering in some countries in the region by no means indicates free online environments in those countries; surveillance and monitoring practices and extralegal harassment from security agencies create a climate of fear used to
silence online dissidents and conform to second-generation controls found elsewhere
in the world.
Many ISPs block popular politically neutral online services such as online translation services and privacy tools, fearing that they can be used to bypass the filtering
regimes. The censors also overblock Web sites and services such as social networking
sites and photo and video sharing sites because of the potential for content considered
objectionable.
More users in the Middle East and North Africa are using the Internet for political
campaigning and social activism; however, states continue to introduce more restrictive legal, technical, and monitoring measures, amid growing local and regional calls
to ease restrictions and remove barriers to the free flow of information.
Notes
1. Mohammad Ghazal, ‘‘Jordan, UAE Firms in Talks over Free IT Zone,’’ Jordan Times, May 16,
2009, http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=16742.
2. Keach Hagey, ‘‘Capital Launches Media Zone to Nurture Young Arab Talent,’’ The National,
October 13, 2008, http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081012/BUSINESS/13341341/1119/NEWS.
3. Chris V. Panganiban, ‘‘Technology to Promote Arabic Online,’’ The Peninsula, April 19, 2009,
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=local_news&month=april2009&file
=local_news2009041913642.xml.
4. Arab Advisors Group, ‘‘Has the Age of Fixed Wireless Broadband Services Arrived in the Arab
World? By End of March 2009, Six Arab Countries Had Eleven Commercially Launched,’’ April
16, 2009, http://www.arabadvisors.com/Pressers/presser-160409.htm.
5. ChinaCCM, ‘‘2008 Africa—Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Northern Region,’’ December
2008, http://www.chinaccm.com/4S/4S16/4S1607/news/20081205/111435.asp.
6. PricewaterhouseCoopers, ‘‘Arab Media Outlook, 2008–2012,’’ http://www.pwc.com/extweb/
pwcpublications.nsf/docid/14D97CB491E2A59B85257334000B8AAB.
7. ChinaCCM, ‘‘2008 Africa—Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Northern Region,’’ December
2008, http://www.chinaccm.com/4S/4S16/4S1607/news/20081205/111435.asp.
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MENA Overview
growing.
Though many governments acknowledge social filtering, most continue to disguise
their political filtering practices by attempting to confuse users with various error
messages.
The absence of technical filtering in some countries in the region by no means indicates free online environments in those countries; surveillance and monitoring practices and extralegal harassment from security agencies create a climate of fear used to
silence online dissidents and conform to second-generation controls found elsewhere
in the world.
Many ISPs block popular politically neutral online services such as online translation services and privacy tools, fearing that they can be used to bypass the filtering
regimes. The censors also overblock Web sites and services such as social networking
sites and photo and video sharing sites because of the potential for content considered
objectionable.
More users in the Middle East and North Africa are using the Internet for political
campaigning and social activism; however, states continue to introduce more restrictive legal, technical, and monitoring measures, amid growing local and regional calls
to ease restrictions and remove barriers to the free flow of information.
Notes
1. Mohammad Ghazal, ‘‘Jordan, UAE Firms in Talks over Free IT Zone,’’ Jordan Times, May 16,
2009, http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=16742.
2. Keach Hagey, ‘‘Capital Launches Media Zone to Nurture Young Arab Talent,’’ The National,
October 13, 2008, http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081012/BUSINESS/13341341/1119/NEWS.
3. Chris V. Panganiban, ‘‘Technology to Promote Arabic Online,’’ The Peninsula, April 19, 2009,
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=local_news&month=april2009&file
=local_news2009041913642.xml.
4. Arab Advisors Group, ‘‘Has the Age of Fixed Wireless Broadband Services Arrived in the Arab
World? By End of March 2009, Six Arab Countries Had Eleven Commercially Launched,’’ April
16, 2009, http://www.arabadvisors.com/Pressers/presser-160409.htm.
5. ChinaCCM, ‘‘2008 Africa—Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Northern Region,’’ December
2008, http://www.chinaccm.com/4S/4S16/4S1607/news/20081205/111435.asp.
6. PricewaterhouseCoopers, ‘‘Arab Media Outlook, 2008–2012,’’ http://www.pwc.com/extweb/
pwcpublications.nsf/docid/14D97CB491E2A59B85257334000B8AAB.
7. ChinaCCM, ‘‘2008 Africa—Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Northern Region,’’ December
2008, http://www.chinaccm.com/4S/4S16/4S1607/news/20081205/111435.asp.
532
MENA Overview