privately owned, but must obtain a license from
the MoPT.
29
Approximately fifty companies have
obtained licenses.
30
Article 144(b) of the criminal code criminalizes “insulting or defaming” the president, parliament, armed forces, or any other public body, in
writing, drawings or speech, through radio, television, electronic, or computer means. 31 Article
14 of a 1998 telecommunications decree makes
ISPs responsible for the sites they host, and
requires them to take “all necessary steps to
ensure constant surveillance” of content to prevent access to “material contrary to public order
and morality.” 32 Journalists report that it can take
up to two days to receive their e-mails, and consequently suspect the government is spying on
them. 33 The regulatory framework is under review
and MoPT had targeted 2005 as the year for liberalization of various sectors of the telecommunications market. 34
ONI testing results
Among the most sensitive topics in Algeria are
criticism of President Bouteflika and the military,
35
same-sex relationships,
36
and non-Islamic religious worship.
37
Algerians who engage in any of
these activities face serious sanctions, including
stiff fines and imprisonment. Nonetheless, ONI
testing found no evidence that the government
filters Internet sites or activity associated with
these, or any other, sensitive topics. The government’s primary forms of control thus appear to be
the access controls and content monitoring regulations noted above.
Conclusion
Although Algeria does not at present filter Internet
content, legislation that criminalizes peaceful criticism of the government and requires ISPs to
police online content, together with a highly centralized network, could facilitate the filtering of
online content in the future.
NOTES
1. Ministre des postes et télécommunications,
“Configuration des services de la plate-forme
Internet des P&T,” http://www.postelecom.dz/
service.htm (accessed January 24, 2007).
2. Reporters Sans Frontières, “Internet under surveillance 2004: Obstacles to the free flow of information
online,” June 22, 2004, http://www.rsf.org/
article.php3?id_article=10730, (accessed January
24, 2007).
3. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Algeria,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61685.htm.
4. Human Rights Watch, Algeria’s Amnesty Decree,
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/04/12/
algeri13169.htm.
5. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Algeria,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61685.htm;
Human Rights Watch, “Algeria: Press freedom at risk
despite release of editor,” http://hrw.org/english/
docs/2006/06/13/algeri13543.htm; Human Rights
Watch, “Algeria: Human rights lawyers tried on
dubious charges,” http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/
02/20/algeri15360.htm.
6. U.S. Department of State, International Religious
Freedom Report 2006: Algeria,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71418.htm.
7. Reporters Sans Frontières “Internet under surveillance 2004: Obstacles to the free flow of information
online,” June 22, 2004,
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10730.
8. Economic Commission for Africa. Algeria: Internet
Connectivity, http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nici/
country_profiles/Algeria/algerinter.htm.
9. Economic Commission for Africa. Algeria: NICI
Policy, http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nici/
country_profiles/Algeria/algerpol.htm.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Djaweb, “Presentation,” http://www.djaweb.dz/
presentation.htm.
13. Economist Intelligence Unit. “Algeria: Telecoms
and technology background,”
http://www.ebusinessforum.com/index.asp?
layout=newdebi&country_id=DZ.
14. Algérie Télécom, “Les partenaires,”
http://www.algerietelecom.dz/?p=partenaire.
15. Academic Research Network, “Portail ARN,”
http://www.arn.dz/index.php?file=infrastructure.
16. GÉANT2, “Academic Research Network & what it
gives,” http://www.geant2.net/upload/ppt/
4_Khelladi_Abdelkader.ppt.
17. Economic Commission for Africa, Algeria: Internet
Connectivity, http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nici/
country_profiles/Algeria/algerinter.htm.
Country Summaries
247
the MoPT.
29
Approximately fifty companies have
obtained licenses.
30
Article 144(b) of the criminal code criminalizes “insulting or defaming” the president, parliament, armed forces, or any other public body, in
writing, drawings or speech, through radio, television, electronic, or computer means. 31 Article
14 of a 1998 telecommunications decree makes
ISPs responsible for the sites they host, and
requires them to take “all necessary steps to
ensure constant surveillance” of content to prevent access to “material contrary to public order
and morality.” 32 Journalists report that it can take
up to two days to receive their e-mails, and consequently suspect the government is spying on
them. 33 The regulatory framework is under review
and MoPT had targeted 2005 as the year for liberalization of various sectors of the telecommunications market. 34
ONI testing results
Among the most sensitive topics in Algeria are
criticism of President Bouteflika and the military,
35
same-sex relationships,
36
and non-Islamic religious worship.
37
Algerians who engage in any of
these activities face serious sanctions, including
stiff fines and imprisonment. Nonetheless, ONI
testing found no evidence that the government
filters Internet sites or activity associated with
these, or any other, sensitive topics. The government’s primary forms of control thus appear to be
the access controls and content monitoring regulations noted above.
Conclusion
Although Algeria does not at present filter Internet
content, legislation that criminalizes peaceful criticism of the government and requires ISPs to
police online content, together with a highly centralized network, could facilitate the filtering of
online content in the future.
NOTES
1. Ministre des postes et télécommunications,
“Configuration des services de la plate-forme
Internet des P&T,” http://www.postelecom.dz/
service.htm (accessed January 24, 2007).
2. Reporters Sans Frontières, “Internet under surveillance 2004: Obstacles to the free flow of information
online,” June 22, 2004, http://www.rsf.org/
article.php3?id_article=10730, (accessed January
24, 2007).
3. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Algeria,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61685.htm.
4. Human Rights Watch, Algeria’s Amnesty Decree,
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/04/12/
algeri13169.htm.
5. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Algeria,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61685.htm;
Human Rights Watch, “Algeria: Press freedom at risk
despite release of editor,” http://hrw.org/english/
docs/2006/06/13/algeri13543.htm; Human Rights
Watch, “Algeria: Human rights lawyers tried on
dubious charges,” http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/
02/20/algeri15360.htm.
6. U.S. Department of State, International Religious
Freedom Report 2006: Algeria,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71418.htm.
7. Reporters Sans Frontières “Internet under surveillance 2004: Obstacles to the free flow of information
online,” June 22, 2004,
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10730.
8. Economic Commission for Africa. Algeria: Internet
Connectivity, http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nici/
country_profiles/Algeria/algerinter.htm.
9. Economic Commission for Africa. Algeria: NICI
Policy, http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nici/
country_profiles/Algeria/algerpol.htm.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Djaweb, “Presentation,” http://www.djaweb.dz/
presentation.htm.
13. Economist Intelligence Unit. “Algeria: Telecoms
and technology background,”
http://www.ebusinessforum.com/index.asp?
layout=newdebi&country_id=DZ.
14. Algérie Télécom, “Les partenaires,”
http://www.algerietelecom.dz/?p=partenaire.
15. Academic Research Network, “Portail ARN,”
http://www.arn.dz/index.php?file=infrastructure.
16. GÉANT2, “Academic Research Network & what it
gives,” http://www.geant2.net/upload/ppt/
4_Khelladi_Abdelkader.ppt.
17. Economic Commission for Africa, Algeria: Internet
Connectivity, http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nici/
country_profiles/Algeria/algerinter.htm.
Country Summaries
247