Conclusion
Though the Internet is growing rapidly in many
countries and high-speed access is spreading,
most countries in the Middle East and North
Africa maintain control over what citizens can see
and say online. Authorities use technology and
legal and physical restrictions to limit what users
can access online. While filtering is primarily
based on religious and cultural concerns, most
countries in the region also filter some political
content.
Even in countries that filter little or no online
content, legal restrictions and extralegal harassment from security agencies can still be used to
cow or silence online critics.
In addition, although some countries openly
acknowledge practicing Internet filtering of religiously and culturally objectionable content,
there is less openness when it comes to blocking
of political oppositional content. Other countries
deliberately try to obscure the fact that they are
filtering content by producing false error messages or time-out messages.
Furthermore, as governments try to prevent
people from circumventing filtering, they inflict
collateral damage on the Internet, preventing
users from using useful and politically neutral
services such as privacy tools and online translation services.
In sum, filtering in the MENA region demonstrates an ongoing struggle between the filtering
states’ desire to integrate into the global economy and their efforts to restrict and prevent access
to what they deem to be dissident activities or
objectionable materials.
Authors: Helmi Noman, Elijah Zarwan
NOTES
1. AME Info, Arab internet woes,
http://www.ameinfo.com/80162.html.
2. International Telecommunication Union, Internet
Indicators: Hosts, Users and Number of PCs (2005),
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Indicators/
Indicators.aspx.
3. AME Info, “DSL Forum acclaims Middle East and
Africa broadband growing faster than any region in
the world,” April 12, 2007, http://www.ameinfo.com/
116548.html.
4. Ibid.
5. Reporters Without Borders, “List of the 13 Internet
enemies in 2006,” November 7, 2006,
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19603.
6. Gulf News, “UAE cyber crimes law,” February 13,
2006, http://archive.gulfnews.com/uae/uaessentials/more_stories/10018507.html.
7. Saudi Gazettee, Cyber Crime Regulations, April 7,
2007, translated, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/
index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id
=28819&Itemid=146.
8. Reporters Without Borders, “Authorities boast of
success in Internet filtering,” September 15, 2006,
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18864.
9. The Guardian, “Iran bans fast Internet to cut west’s
influence,” October 18, 2006, http://technology.
guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1924637,00.html.
10. Reporters Without Borders, Internet Under
Surveillance 2004: Jordan, http://www.rsf.org/
article.php3?id_article=10737.
11. The Initiative for an Open Arab Internet, “Implacable
Adversaries: Arab Government and the Internet
(2006): Jordan,” http://www.openarab.net/en/
reports/net2006/jordan.shtml; Human Rights Watch,
“Jordan: Rise in arrests restricting free speech,”
June 17, 2006, http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/
2006/06/17/jordan13574.htm.
12. BBC News, “Egypt blogger jailed for ‘insult’,”
February 22, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
middle_east/6385849.stm.
13. Arab News, “Most of kingdom’s Internet users
aim for the forbidden,” October 2, 2005,
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=
0&article=71012&d=2&m=10&y=2005.
212
Regional Overviews
Though the Internet is growing rapidly in many
countries and high-speed access is spreading,
most countries in the Middle East and North
Africa maintain control over what citizens can see
and say online. Authorities use technology and
legal and physical restrictions to limit what users
can access online. While filtering is primarily
based on religious and cultural concerns, most
countries in the region also filter some political
content.
Even in countries that filter little or no online
content, legal restrictions and extralegal harassment from security agencies can still be used to
cow or silence online critics.
In addition, although some countries openly
acknowledge practicing Internet filtering of religiously and culturally objectionable content,
there is less openness when it comes to blocking
of political oppositional content. Other countries
deliberately try to obscure the fact that they are
filtering content by producing false error messages or time-out messages.
Furthermore, as governments try to prevent
people from circumventing filtering, they inflict
collateral damage on the Internet, preventing
users from using useful and politically neutral
services such as privacy tools and online translation services.
In sum, filtering in the MENA region demonstrates an ongoing struggle between the filtering
states’ desire to integrate into the global economy and their efforts to restrict and prevent access
to what they deem to be dissident activities or
objectionable materials.
Authors: Helmi Noman, Elijah Zarwan
NOTES
1. AME Info, Arab internet woes,
http://www.ameinfo.com/80162.html.
2. International Telecommunication Union, Internet
Indicators: Hosts, Users and Number of PCs (2005),
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Indicators/
Indicators.aspx.
3. AME Info, “DSL Forum acclaims Middle East and
Africa broadband growing faster than any region in
the world,” April 12, 2007, http://www.ameinfo.com/
116548.html.
4. Ibid.
5. Reporters Without Borders, “List of the 13 Internet
enemies in 2006,” November 7, 2006,
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19603.
6. Gulf News, “UAE cyber crimes law,” February 13,
2006, http://archive.gulfnews.com/uae/uaessentials/more_stories/10018507.html.
7. Saudi Gazettee, Cyber Crime Regulations, April 7,
2007, translated, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/
index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id
=28819&Itemid=146.
8. Reporters Without Borders, “Authorities boast of
success in Internet filtering,” September 15, 2006,
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18864.
9. The Guardian, “Iran bans fast Internet to cut west’s
influence,” October 18, 2006, http://technology.
guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1924637,00.html.
10. Reporters Without Borders, Internet Under
Surveillance 2004: Jordan, http://www.rsf.org/
article.php3?id_article=10737.
11. The Initiative for an Open Arab Internet, “Implacable
Adversaries: Arab Government and the Internet
(2006): Jordan,” http://www.openarab.net/en/
reports/net2006/jordan.shtml; Human Rights Watch,
“Jordan: Rise in arrests restricting free speech,”
June 17, 2006, http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/
2006/06/17/jordan13574.htm.
12. BBC News, “Egypt blogger jailed for ‘insult’,”
February 22, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
middle_east/6385849.stm.
13. Arab News, “Most of kingdom’s Internet users
aim for the forbidden,” October 2, 2005,
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=
0&article=71012&d=2&m=10&y=2005.
212
Regional Overviews