• Substantial filtering: Filtering that has
either depth or breadth: either a number of
categories are subject to a medium level of
filtering or a low level of filtering is carried out
across many categories.
• Selective filtering: Narrowly targeted filtering that blocks a small number of specific
sites across a few categories or filtering that
targets a single category or issue.
• Suspected filtering: Connectivity abnormalities are present that suggest the presence of filtering, although diagnostic work
was unable to confirm conclusively that
inaccessible Web sites are the result of
deliberate tampering.
• No evidence of filtering: ONI testing did
not uncover any evidence of Web sites
being blocked.
The Results-at-a-Glance box also includes a
measure (low, medium, or high) of the observed
transparency and consistency of blocking
patterns. The transparency score given to each
country is a qualitative measure based on the
level to which the country openly engages in
filtering. In cases where filtering takes place
without open acknowledgment, or where the
practice of filtering is actively disguised to appear
as network errors, the transparency score is low.
In assigning the transparency score, we have
also considered the presence of provisions to
appeal or report instances of inappropriate
blocking. Consistency measures the variation in
filtering within a country across different ISPs—in
some cases the availability of specific Web
pages differs significantly depending on the ISP
one uses to connect to the Internet.
An aggregate view of the level of development for each country is represented by the
results of the first four indexes presented in the
Key Indicators box: gross domestic product per
capita, life expectancy, literacy rates, and the
human development index. The first three measures are drawn from the World Bank development indicators dataset. The GDP measure
is expressed in terms of purchasing power parity
in constant 2000 international dollars, which
captures the ability to purchase a standard basket of consumer goods. Life expectancy can be
seen as a proxy for general health, and literacy
an imperfect but reasonable indication of the
quality of education. The human development
index is constructed by the United Nations
Development Programme to reflect overall
human well-being.
Governance is widely recognized to be a
key determinant of economic success and
human welfare. We therefore also include two
measures of governance: rule of law and voice
and accountability. These indexes are defined
and compiled by researchers at the World Bank
using an aggregation of the best available data.
The authors of the indexes define them in the
following way:
• Rule of Law includes several indicators which
measure the extent to which agents have
confidence in and abide by the rules of society. These include perceptions of the incidence of crime, the effectiveness and predictability of the judiciary, and the enforceability of contracts.
• Voice and Accountability includes in it a number of indicators measuring various aspects
of the political process, civil liberties, political and human rights, measuring the extent
to which citizens of a country are able to
participate in the selection of governments.
There are a number of similar indicators
available that are presented as comparative
measures of civil liberties, free expression, and
political freedom. We use only those indicators
because they have been developed using what
we believe to be the most rigorous methodology
and without undue bias. Further information is
238
Country Summaries
either depth or breadth: either a number of
categories are subject to a medium level of
filtering or a low level of filtering is carried out
across many categories.
• Selective filtering: Narrowly targeted filtering that blocks a small number of specific
sites across a few categories or filtering that
targets a single category or issue.
• Suspected filtering: Connectivity abnormalities are present that suggest the presence of filtering, although diagnostic work
was unable to confirm conclusively that
inaccessible Web sites are the result of
deliberate tampering.
• No evidence of filtering: ONI testing did
not uncover any evidence of Web sites
being blocked.
The Results-at-a-Glance box also includes a
measure (low, medium, or high) of the observed
transparency and consistency of blocking
patterns. The transparency score given to each
country is a qualitative measure based on the
level to which the country openly engages in
filtering. In cases where filtering takes place
without open acknowledgment, or where the
practice of filtering is actively disguised to appear
as network errors, the transparency score is low.
In assigning the transparency score, we have
also considered the presence of provisions to
appeal or report instances of inappropriate
blocking. Consistency measures the variation in
filtering within a country across different ISPs—in
some cases the availability of specific Web
pages differs significantly depending on the ISP
one uses to connect to the Internet.
An aggregate view of the level of development for each country is represented by the
results of the first four indexes presented in the
Key Indicators box: gross domestic product per
capita, life expectancy, literacy rates, and the
human development index. The first three measures are drawn from the World Bank development indicators dataset. The GDP measure
is expressed in terms of purchasing power parity
in constant 2000 international dollars, which
captures the ability to purchase a standard basket of consumer goods. Life expectancy can be
seen as a proxy for general health, and literacy
an imperfect but reasonable indication of the
quality of education. The human development
index is constructed by the United Nations
Development Programme to reflect overall
human well-being.
Governance is widely recognized to be a
key determinant of economic success and
human welfare. We therefore also include two
measures of governance: rule of law and voice
and accountability. These indexes are defined
and compiled by researchers at the World Bank
using an aggregation of the best available data.
The authors of the indexes define them in the
following way:
• Rule of Law includes several indicators which
measure the extent to which agents have
confidence in and abide by the rules of society. These include perceptions of the incidence of crime, the effectiveness and predictability of the judiciary, and the enforceability of contracts.
• Voice and Accountability includes in it a number of indicators measuring various aspects
of the political process, civil liberties, political and human rights, measuring the extent
to which citizens of a country are able to
participate in the selection of governments.
There are a number of similar indicators
available that are presented as comparative
measures of civil liberties, free expression, and
political freedom. We use only those indicators
because they have been developed using what
we believe to be the most rigorous methodology
and without undue bias. Further information is
238
Country Summaries