United Arab Emirates
The government of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) censors political and
religious content and pervasively filters Web sites that contain pornography or relate to alcohol and drug
use, LGBT issues, or online dating or
gambling. Online privacy and circumvention tools, as well as some Web
sites belonging to Nazis or historical
revisionists, are also blocked. Additionally, legal controls limit free expression and behavior, restricting political
discourse and dissent online.
Background
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates formed in 1971 after independence from
Britain. Each emirate maintains a large degree of independence, and the UAE is governed by the Supreme Council of Rulers of the seven emirs of the emirates. Though
the UAE is one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf, it was until December 2006
the only state in the region not to have elected bodies. 1
The UAE’s economy continues to grow, but civil society remains stagnant, and
human rights progress has been slow. Authorities have exerted censorship on a wide
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency
The government of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) censors political and
religious content and pervasively filters Web sites that contain pornography or relate to alcohol and drug
use, LGBT issues, or online dating or
gambling. Online privacy and circumvention tools, as well as some Web
sites belonging to Nazis or historical
revisionists, are also blocked. Additionally, legal controls limit free expression and behavior, restricting political
discourse and dissent online.
Background
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates formed in 1971 after independence from
Britain. Each emirate maintains a large degree of independence, and the UAE is governed by the Supreme Council of Rulers of the seven emirs of the emirates. Though
the UAE is one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf, it was until December 2006
the only state in the region not to have elected bodies. 1
The UAE’s economy continues to grow, but civil society remains stagnant, and
human rights progress has been slow. Authorities have exerted censorship on a wide
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency