Governments also used harassment and physical intimidation of journalists to create a climate of fear and self-censorship, both online and offline. Authorities further censored the media by closing independent newspaper outlets and television stations. Officials detained or arrested activists and journalists on false charges in order to limit criticism of the government and impede peaceful protest, and some have even been killed for simply voicing dissent.
In too many places, government security forces abused human rights with impunity and failed to protect their citizens. Military and security forces in numerous countries engaged in unlawful arrests and extrajudicial killings, gender-based violence, rape, torture, and abductions throughout Weak or nonexistent justice institutions did not hold security forces accountable for human rights abuses and often failed to uphold the rights to due process and a fair trial. People continued to work in conditions that were hazardous to their health and safety, some — often migrant workers — against their will.
However, did see the entry-into-force of International Labor Organization ILO Convention , which set forth protections for fundamental rights at work, and several countries took steps to enact legislation to protect the rights of domestic workers.
Release of 2013 Human Rights Report
Governments subjected these groups to repressive policies, societal intolerance, discriminatory laws, and disenfranchisement, and authorities failed to hold those who committed crimes against them accountable. Faith organizations and religious and ethnic minorities suffered growing intolerance and violence, as well as faced threats to and restrictions on their religious belief and practice. Women and girls in all regions suffered endemic societal discrimination, and there was a surge in gender-based violence.
ISPs must comply within 24 hours or face sanctions, which could include the loss of their concessions. The order is based on Venezuela's media law which makes it illegal to disseminate information that could sow panic among the general public. Starting on 12 February the Venezuelan government blocked users' online images on Twitter. The move appears to be an attempt to limit images of protests against shortages and the world's highest inflation rate. Clashes between opposition-affiliated students and armed pro-government socialist collectives left at least three dead, 66 injured, and under detention.
Countries included in this classification were found to practice selective Internet censorship and surveillance. This includes countries where a small number of specific sites are blocked or censorship targets a small number of categories or issues. A country is included in the "selective" category when it:.
Internet censorship and surveillance by country - Wikipedia
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or chat rooms without judicial oversight. Social media and communications apps such as YouTube , Facebook , Twitter , and international blog-hosting services are all freely available. Censorship of traditional news and information sources is common, leading to worries that similar efforts to control online information will eventually emerge.
Defamation , libel , and insulting the country or president in "public meetings or by disseminating words, images, writings, or sound" are crimes punishable by imprisonment. Often referred to as the cybercrime bill, the law was ultimately withdrawn in May as a result of international pressure and vocal objections from civil society. However, the government publicly stated that similar clauses regarding cybercrimes will be incorporated into an ongoing revision of the penal code, leaving open the possibility of Internet-specific restrictions becoming law in the future.
An April news report claimed that state security services were planning to implement electronic monitoring that could track email and other digital communications. There was also evidence of a major ISP hosting a spyware system. The Internet in Azerbaijan remains largely free from direct censorship, although there is evidence of second- and third-generation controls.
Although Internet access in Bangladesh is not restricted by a national level filtering regime, the state has intervened to block Web sites for hosting anti-Islamic content and content deemed subversive. Internet content is regulated by existing legal frameworks that restrict material deemed defamatory or offensive, as well as content that might challenge law and order.
The Bangla blogging platform Sachalayatan was reported to be inaccessible on 15 July , and was forced to migrate to a new IP address. Although the blocking was not officially confirmed, Sachalayatan was likely Bangladesh's inaugural filtering event. The disputed video covered a partial audio recording of a meeting between the prime minister and military officials, who were angry at the government's handling of a mutiny by border guards in Dhaka that left more than seventy people dead.
Facebook was blocked by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission BTRC for 7 days starting on 29 May because of "obnoxious images", including depictions of Mohammed and several of the country's political officials as well as links to pornographic sites.
Individuals and groups are generally permitted to engage in peaceful expression of views via the Internet. Government officials state that the government does not block access, restrict content, or censor Web sites. However, Freedom House reports the government occasionally blocks access to Web sites containing pornography or information deemed offensive to the state; but that such blocked information typically does not extend to political content.
In its Freedom of the Press report , Freedom House described high levels of self-censorship among media practitioners, despite few reports of official intimidation or threats. The constitution provides for freedom of speech including for members of the press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice.
Citizens can publicly and privately criticize the government without reprisal. The constitution states that persons "shall not be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home, or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on the person's honor and reputation", and the government generally respects these prohibitions. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms.
A continuing trend is for private individuals and official bodies to take legal action against Internet service providers and providers of online social media platforms, such as Google, Facebook, and Orkut, holding them accountable for content posted to or provided by users of the platform. Judicial rulings often result in the forced removal of content from the Internet. Brazilian legislation restricts the freedom of expression Paim Law , directed especially to publications considered racist such as neo-nazi sites. The Brazilian Constitution also prohibits anonymity of journalists.
In September an elections court in Brazil ordered the arrest of Google's most senior executive in the country, after the company failed to take down YouTube videos attacking a local mayoral candidate. Google is appealing the order, which comes after a similar decision by another Brazilian elections judge. In that case, the judge found a different senior executive responsible for violating local election law after the company refused to take down a YouTube video mocking a mayoral candidate.
Compared to traditional media in Cambodia, new media, including online news, social networks and personal blogs, enjoy more freedom and independence from government censorship and restrictions. However, the government does proactively block blogs and websites, either on moral grounds, or for hosting content deemed critical of the government. The government restricts access to sexually explicit content, but does not systematically censor online political discourse. Since three blogs hosted overseas have been blocked for perceived antigovernment content.
In , government ministries threatened to shutter internet cafes too near schools—citing moral concerns—and instituted surveillance of cafe premises and cell phone subscribers as a security measure. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms without appropriate legal authority. During NGOs expressed concern about potential online restrictions.
In February and November, the government published two circulars, which, if implemented fully, would require Internet cafes to install surveillance cameras and restrict operations within major urban centers. The government maintained it would only regulate criminal activity. Because of threats from local drug cartels or other gangs and individuals, many journalists practice self-censorship , including many in Colombia who avoid reporting on corruption, drug trafficking, or violence by armed groups because of such threats. Colombian law requires ISPs to monitor their content and report any illegal activity to the government.
Some websites are blocked as part of the Internet Sano program. Child pornography is illegal in Colombia. ONI testing on two Colombian ISPs revealed evidence of one blocked website; the government has also taken measures aimed at reducing children's exposure to online pornography. The government has passed laws addressing online privacy, electronic surveillance, and cybercrime, although Colombia's national intelligence service has reportedly engaged in extrajudicial surveillance.
A pending law governing digital copyright, which was proposed as a measure of compliance with Colombia's free trade agreement with the United States, is currently being contested at the Supreme Court by advocates who assert that the law violates the country's constitution by limiting citizens' rights to access information. There is no widespread blocking or filtering of websites in Ecuador and access to blogs and social media platforms such as Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube is generally free and open.
However, on 11 July the government passed a new telecommunications regulation, requiring that Internet service providers fulfill all information requests from the superintendent of telecommunications, allowing access to client addresses and information without a judicial order. Standard defamation laws apply to content posted online.
Attempts to censor statements made in times of heightened political sensitivity have been reported, as have alleged instances of censorship via the overly broad application of copyright to content critical of the government. Self-censorship of comments critical of the government is encouraged.
In January , for example, President Correa called for the National Secretary of Intelligence SENAIN to investigate two Twitter users who had published disparaging comments about him, an announcement which sent a warning to others not to post comments critical of the president. At the president's request, two news sites La Hora and El Comercio suspended the reader comments sections of their websites. While there are no official constraints on organizing protests over the Internet, warnings from the president stating that the act of protesting will be interpreted as "an attempt to destabilize the government" have undoubtedly discouraged some from organizing and participating in protests.
Ecuador's new "Organic Law on Communications" was passed in June The law recognizes a right to communication. Media companies are required to collect and store user information. Eritrea has not set up a widespread automatic Internet filtering system, but it does not hesitate to order blocking of several diaspora websites critical of the regime. Access to these sites is blocked by two of the Internet service providers, Erson and Ewan, as are pornographic websites and YouTube.
Self-censorship is said to be widespread. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms without appropriate legal authority. Individuals and groups can generally engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail.
However, Internet users reported they could not access the Web sites of foreign online newspapers Freedom, The Gambia Echo, Hellogambia, and Jollofnews, which criticized the government. The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press ; however, the government restricted these rights. According to the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, "the environment for independent and opposition media remained hostile, with numerous obstacles to freedom of expression , including administrative hurdles, arbitrary arrest and detention, intimidation and judicial harassment against journalists, and the closure of media outlets, leading to self-censorship.
The National Intelligence Agency NIA was involved in arbitrary closure of media outlets and the extrajudicial detention of journalists. In a Gambian journalist living in the US was convicted of sedition for an article published online; she was fined USD12,; [] in the Gambian police ordered all subscribers to an online independent newspaper to report to the police or face arrest.
The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, but the government does not respect these prohibitions. Observers believe the government monitors citizens engaged in activities that it deems objectionable. Access to Internet content in Georgia is largely unrestricted as the legal constitutional framework, developed after the Rose Revolution , established a series of provisions that should, in theory, curtail any attempts by the state to censor the Internet.
At the same time, these legal instruments have not been sufficient to prevent limited filtering on corporate and educational networks. Georgia's dependence on international connectivity makes it vulnerable to upstream filtering, evident in the March blocking of YouTube by Turk Telecom.
Georgia blocked all websites with addresses ending in. Since the Mumbai bombings of , the Indian authorities have stepped up Internet surveillance and pressure on technical service providers, while publicly rejecting accusations of censorship. ONI describes India as: Censorship in Jordan is relatively light, with filtering selectively applied to only a small number of sites. However, media laws and regulations encourage some measure of self-censorship in cyberspace, and citizens have reportedly been questioned and arrested for Web content they have authored.
Censorship in Jordan is mainly focused on political issues that might be seen as a threat to national security due to the nation's close proximity to regional hotspots like Israel , Iraq , Lebanon , and the Palestinian territories. In , the Press and Publications Department initiated a ban on Jordanian news websites which had not registered and been licensed by government agency. The order issued to Telecommunication Regulatory Commission contained a list of over websites to be blocked. The new law, which enforced registration of websites, would also hold online news sites accountable for the comments left by their readers.
They would also be required to archive all comments for at least six months.
In , the Internet Archive was blocked, however it was unblocked later. The government does not employ technical filtering or any administrative censorship system to restrict access to political or other content. In , approximately 8. The constitution protects freedom of expression and the "freedom to communicate ideas and information. The Act also outlines other forms of illegality associated with the use of information and communication technologies.
In July the government announced that all cell phone users had to provide the government with their name and identification number. This regulation applies to citizens who access the Internet through cell phone-based services as well. Access to the Internet in Kyrgyzstan has deteriorated as heightened political tensions have led to more frequent instances of second- and third-generation controls.
The government has become more sensitive to the Internet's influence on domestic politics and enacted laws that increase its authority to regulate the sector. Liberalization of the telecommunications market in Kyrgyzstan has made the Internet affordable for the majority of the population. However, Kyrgyzstan is an effectively cyberlocked country dependent on purchasing bandwidth from Kazakhstan and Russia.
The increasingly authoritarian regime in Kazakhstan is shifting toward more restrictive Internet controls, which is leading to instances of upstream filtering affecting ISPs in Kyrgyzstan. Internet traffic in Lebanon is barely controlled. There is no surveillance, but a handful of websites have been blocked. The sites blocked relate to gambling, child pornography, prostitution services, and a few Israeli websites. The blocking is incredibly basic however, covering very few relevant websites, is sometimes done in error, and can be easily bypassed without a need for a VPN for the websites actually blocked.
The overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in August ended an era of censorship. The Constitutional Declaration under the interim governments provides for freedom of opinion, expression, and the press. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet, but there are credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet communication.
Social media applications, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, were freely accessible. Internet content is not filtered, but service is often unreliable or nonexistent outside major cities. Before his removal and death, Col. Gaddafi had tried to impose a news blackout by cutting access to the Internet. This relatively lenient filtering policy coincided with what was arguably a trend toward greater openness and increasing freedom of the press.
However, the legal and political climate continued to encourage self-censorship in online media. In Reporters Without Borders removed Libya from their list of Internet enemies after a fact-finding visit found no evidence of Internet censorship. Malawi participates in regional efforts to combat cybercrime: There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet except for pornography or material deemed objectionable to Islamic values.
There were no credible reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms without judicial oversight. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs continues to block Web sites considered anti-Islamic or pornographic. In November the Telecommunications Authority blocked and banned a local blog, Hilath. The blog was known for promoting religious tolerance, as well as for discussing the blogger's homosexuality. NGO sources stated that in general the media practiced self-censorship on issues related to Islam due to fears of being labeled "anti-Islamic" and subsequently harassed.
This self-censorship also applied to reporting on problems in and criticisms of the judiciary. There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitored email or Internet chat rooms in Individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. Between 16 March and 19 March and again on 25 June the news Web site Taqadoumy was blocked. Dehah, who was originally arrested in June on charges of defamation of presidential candidate Ibrahima Sarr for publishing an article stating that Sarr bought a house with campaign money from General Aziz.
The sentencing judge accused Dehah of creating a space allowing individuals to express anti-Islamic and indecent views, based on a female reader's comments made on the Taqadoumy site calling for increased sexual freedom. There have been mixed messages and confusion regarding Internet censorship in Malaysia. Internet content is officially uncensored, and civil liberties assured, though on numerous occasions the former government has been accused of filtering politically sensitive sites. Any act that curbs internet freedom is theoretically contrary to the Multimedia Act signed by the government of Malaysia in the s.
However, websites containing content deemed illegal by law such as copyright infringement, online gambling and pornography are subject to blocking done through injection of DNS block pages by Malaysian ISPs. In April , prime minister Najib Razak repeated promises that Malaysia will never censor the Internet. In May , leading up to the 13th Malaysian General Election, there were reports of access to YouTube videos critical of the Barisan National Government and to pages of Pakatan Rakyat political leaders in Facebook being blocked. Analysis of the network traffic showed that ISPs were scanning the headers and actively blocking requests for the videos and Facebook pages.
In April , the 13th Cabinet of Malaysia, just a few weeks short of dissolution, tabled a new law called the Anti-Fake News Bill, in efforts to curb freedom of speech on social media, with fear that they would lose the upcoming general elections. In May , after the General Elections, as the year rule of Barisan Nasional came to an end with a Pakatan Harapan win, freedom of speech on social media increased greatly and it was announced that laws oppressing freedom of expression would be either repealed or abolished.
In July , the Malaysian police announced the creation of the Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children Investigation Unit Micac that is equipped with real-time mass internet surveillance software developed in the United States and is tasked with the monitoring of all Malaysian internet users, with a focus on pornography and child pornography. The system creates a "data library" of users which includes details such as IP addresses, websites, locations, duration and frequency of use and files uploaded and downloaded. Mexican law provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice.
There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups can engage in the expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. Transnational Criminal Organizations TCOs exercise an increasing influence over media outlets and reporters, at times directly threatening individuals who published critical views of crime groups.
As citizens increasingly use social media Web sites such as Twitter and Facebook to obtain and share drug-related news, violence against the users of these sites is rising dramatically. Negative advertising in political campaigns is prohibited by present law, although the video appears to be made by a regular citizen which would make it legal. It was the first time a Mexican institution intervened directly with the Internet. While State authorities have interfered with mobile and Internet connections in an attempt to silence protestors and influence the results of elections, Internet users in Moldova enjoy largely unfettered access despite the government's restrictive and increasingly authoritarian tendencies.
Evidence of second- and third-generation controls is mounting. Although filtering does not occur at the backbone level, the majority of filtering and surveillance takes place at the sites where most Moldovans access the Internet: Moldovan security forces have developed the capacity to monitor the Internet, and national legislation concerning illegal activities is strict. Internet access in Morocco is, for the most part, open and unrestricted.
Morocco's Internet filtration regime is relatively light and focuses on a few blog sites, a few highly visible anonymizers, and for a brief period in May , the video sharing Web site YouTube. The filtration regime is not comprehensive, that is to say, similar content can be found on other Web sites that are not blocked. On the other hand, Morocco has started to prosecute Internet users and bloggers for their online activities and writings. There are few government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms.
Although the constitution and law provide for freedom of speech , including for members of the press, the government sometimes restricts these rights in practice. Libel is a civil offense and requires defendants to prove the truth of opinion or value judgment contained in news reports or commentaries.
Militant groups such as Boko Haram threaten, attack, and kill journalists in connection with their reporting of the sect's activities. On 24 October police in Bauchi State arraigned civil servant Abbas Ahmed Faggo before a court for allegedly defaming the character of Governor Isa Yuguda after he posted messages on his Facebook account accusing the governor of spending public funds on his son's wedding.
On 4 November, the court discharged Faggo, but media reported the state government fired him later that month. During several Internet news sites critical of the government experienced server problems, which site owners attributed to government interference.
Important Documents
Such disruptions usually lasted a few hours. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respects these rights. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups engage in peaceful expressions of views via the Internet, including by e-mail.
Internet access is widely available. According to International Telecommunication Union statistics for , approximately 6. In the Republic Act No. The Act was greatly endorsed by Senator Tito Sotto , who said that he was cyberbullied because he allegedly plagiarized bloggers and Sen. PLDT unblocked Pornhub in The government continues to block websites that contains child pornography.
The law does not provide for government restrictions on access to the Internet, but there are reports that the government blocks access to Web sites within the country that are critical of the government. In and , some independent online news outlets and opposition blogs were intermittently inaccessible.
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Some opposition sites continue to be blocked on some ISPs in early , including Umusingi and Inyenyeri News, which were first blocked in The constitution provides for freedom of speech and press "in conditions prescribed by the law. Laws prohibit promoting divisionism, genocide ideology, and genocide denial, "spreading rumors aimed at inciting the population to rise against the regime", expressing contempt for the Head of State, other high-level public officials, administrative authorities or other public servants, and slander of foreign and international officials and dignitaries.
These acts or expression of these viewpoints sometimes results in arrest, harassment, or intimidation. Numerous journalists practice self-censorship. The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence; however, there are numerous reports the government monitors homes, telephone calls, e-mail , Internet chat rooms , other private communications, movements, and personal and institutional data. In some cases monitoring has led to detention and interrogation by State security forces SSF.
The Republic of Singapore engages in the Internet filtering, blocking only the original set of mass-impactable websites. However, the state employs a combination of licensing controls and legal pressures to regulate Internet access and to limit the presence of objectionable content and conduct online. In and three people were arrested and charged with sedition for posting racist comments on the Internet, of which two have been sentenced to imprisonment.
The Media Development Authority maintains a confidential list of blocked websites that are inaccessible within the country. In July , the government made plans to block The Pirate Bay and 45 file sharing websites, after the Copyright Act was amended. Several political and news websites, including tamilnet. The five sites have published material critical of the government and alleged corruption and malfeasance by politicians. Internet penetration remains low in Tajikistan because of widespread poverty and the relatively high cost of Internet access. Internet access remains largely unrestricted, but emerging second-generation controls have threatened to erode these freedoms just as Internet penetration is starting to affect political life in the country.
In the run-up to the presidential elections, ISPs were asked to voluntarily censor access to an opposition Web site, and other second-generation controls have begun to emerge. Internet censorship in Tunisia significantly decreased in January , following the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali , as the new acting government: Prior to January the Ben Ali regime had blocked thousands of websites such as pornography, mail, search engine cached pages, online documents conversion and translation services and peer-to-peer and FTP transfer using a transparent proxy and port blocking.
Cyber dissidents including pro-democracy lawyer Mohammed Abbou were jailed by the Tunisian government for their online activities. Though Uganda has made great technological strides in the past five years, the country still faces a number of challenges in obtaining affordable, reliable Internet bandwidth. This, rather than a formal government-sponsored filtering regime, is the major obstacle to Internet access.
Just prior to the presidential elections in February , the Uganda Communications Commission UCC blocked the anti-government Web site RadioKatwe in the only internationally reported case of Internet filtering in Uganda to date. The Freedom on the Net report found the Internet in Ukraine to be "largely unhindered" with "no practice of institutionalized blocking or filtering, or a regulatory framework for censorship of content online", but that "there have been attempts at creating legislation which could censor or limit content" and would "present indirect threats to freedom of information online.
Ukraine possesses relatively liberal legislation governing the Internet and access to information. The Law on Protection of Public Morals of 20 November , prohibits the production and circulation of pornography; dissemination of products that propagandize war or spread national and religious intolerance; humiliation or insult to an individual or nation on the grounds of nationality, religion, or ignorance; and the propagation of "drug addition, toxicology, alcoholism, smoking and other bad habits.
The constitution and laws provide for freedom of speech and press. However, the government does not always respect these rights in practice. Local media observers express concern over high monetary damages that at times were demanded and awarded for alleged libel. The constitution prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, however, in practice authorities generally do not respect these prohibitions. Law enforcement bodies are known to monitor the Internet, at times without appropriate legal authority.
There have been occasional agitations of interference by law enforcement agencies with prominent bloggers and online publications. The United Kingdom has a notable libertarian tradition, manifested by, among other things, solid guarantees of freedom of expression, freedom of information, and protection of privacy.
Freedom of expression and protection of privacy over the Internet is guaranteed by law. Nonetheless, over the last few years there has been a shift toward increased surveillance and police measures. Combating terrorism and preventing child abuse have been widely used as a justification by state agencies and private commercial actors e.
British Telecommunications ' ISP passes internet traffic through a service called Cleanfeed which uses data provided by the Internet Watch Foundation to identify pages believed to contain indecent photographs of children. On July 22, , Prime Minister David Cameron announced that by default pornography and other abusive material such as suicide, alcohol and violence-related content to most households in the UK would be filtered from the Internet by the end of unless a household chooses to receive it. The UK has also announced plans requiring pornography sites worldwide to add age verification to prevent children from viewing them.
UK based websites which fail to comply will be fined, while overseas sites will be blocked. Winsor said the public was running out of patience with organisations like Facebook , Telegram and WhatsApp. In too many respects, their record is poor and their reputation tarnished. The steps they take to make sure their services cannot be abused by terrorists, paedophiles and organised criminals are inadequate; the commitment they show and their willingness to be held to account are questionable.
Most online expressions are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution , but laws concerning libel , intellectual property , and child pornography still determine if certain content can be legally published online. The Internet in the United States is highly regulated, supported by a complex set of legally binding and privately mediated mechanisms. As in other countries, the potential for legal liability for civil violations, including defamation and copyright, constrains the publishers of Internet content in the United States.
This can have a " chilling effect " and lead to self-censorship of lawful online content and conduct. Content-control software is sometimes used by businesses, libraries, schools, and government offices to limit access to specific types of content. Public dialogue, legislative debate, and judicial review have produced filtering strategies in the United States that are different from those found in most of the rest of the world. Many government-mandated attempts to regulate content have been barred on First Amendment grounds, often after lengthy legal battles.
With the exception of child pornography, content restrictions tend to rely more on the removal of content than blocking; most often these controls rely upon the involvement of private parties, backed by state encouragement or the threat of legal action. RWB stated that the U. Morocco claims the Western Sahara territory and administers Moroccan law through Moroccan institutions in the estimated 85 percent of the territory it controls.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro Polisario , an organization that has sought independence for the former Spanish territory since , disputes Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the territory. There is no indication that Internet access in the territory differs from that in internationally recognized Morocco.
Morocco considers the part of the territory that it administers to be an integral component of the kingdom with the same laws and structures regarding civil liberties , political and economic rights. Moroccan law prohibits citizens from criticizing Islam or the institution of the monarchy or to oppose the government's official position regarding territorial integrity and Western Sahara. Saharan media outlets and bloggers practice self-censorship on these issues, and there are no reports of government action against them for what they write.
Human rights and Sahrawi bloggers affiliated with leftist political groups assume that authorities closely monitor their activities and feel the need to hide their identities. Internet access is not restricted and individuals and groups freely express their views via the Internet, however the government frequently threatens to deregister critical online publications and blogs.
The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press , however the government uses provisions contained in the law to restrict these freedoms. The government is sensitive to opposition and other criticism and has been quick to prosecute critics using the legal pretext that they had incited public disorder.
Libel laws are used to suppress free speech and the press. The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, but the government frequently does not respect these prohibitions. Because Internet penetration in Zimbabwe is low, it is mainly used for e-mail and the government focuses its efforts to control the Internet to e-mail monitoring and censorship.
Though its legal authority to pursue such measures is contested, the government appears to be following through on its wishes to crack down on dissent via e-mail. A country is included in the "little or no censorship or surveillance" category when it is not included in the "pervasive", "substantial" or "selective" categories.
Other controls such as voluntary filtering , self-censorship , and other types of public or private action to limit child pornography , hate speech , defamation , or theft of intellectual property often exist.
Freedom of expression is inviolable under the Afghanistan Constitution , and every Afghan has the right to print or publish topics without prior submission to state authorities. However, the limits of the law are clear: The December Media Law includes bans on four broad content categories: Proposed additions to the law would ban content jeopardizing stability, national security, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan; false information that might disrupt public opinion; promotion of any religion other than Islam; and "material which might damage physical well-being, psychological and moral security of people, especially children and the youth.
An executive there said that while the government intends to censor pornographic content and gambling sites, social networking sites and email services are not slated for filtering. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary Interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice. Internet access in Algeria is not restricted by technical filtering. However, the state controls the Internet infrastructure and regulates content by other means.
Internet users and Internet service providers ISPs can face criminal penalties for posting or allowing the posting of material deemed contrary to public order or morality. The regulation of Internet content addresses largely the same concerns and strategies seen in North America and Europe, focusing on combating the spread of child pornography and restricting child access to age-inappropriate material.
As Internet usage in Argentina increases, so do defamation, hate speech, copyright, and privacy issues. In August a judge ordered all ISPs to block the site LeakyMails, a Web site that obtains and publishes documents exposing corruption in Argentina. Comision Nacional De Comunicaciones ordered the blocking of websites that contained information about bootloader unlocking of netbooks supplied by the Argentine Government.
The CNC is an agency of the Argentine Government created to certify wireless devices; to regulate communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, cable and postal services. As of [update] , any and all websites previously blocked are no longer blocked due to public criticism and lack of interest. Access to the Internet in Armenia is largely unfettered, although evidence of second- and third-generation filtering is mounting.
Armenia's political climate is volatile and largely unpredictable. In times of political unrest, the government has not hesitated to put in place restrictions on the Internet as a means to curtail public protest and discontent. The regulator ACMA can order local sites which do not comply taken down, and overseas sites added to a blacklist provided to makers of PC-based filtering software.
Australia is classified as "under surveillance" by Reporters Without Borders due to the internet filtering legislation proposed by Minister Stephen Conroy. In June two Australian ISPs, Telstra and Optus, confirmed they would voluntary block access to a list of child abuse websites provided by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and more websites on a list compiled by unnamed international organizations from mid-year.
In May , Senator Scott Ludlam questioned the Department and Minister for Communications — and 3 agencies were identified as using section powers within Australian legislation to block websites, two of which being The Australian Federal Police and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. In June legislation to force ISP's to block access to websites that link to copyrighted material was passed through the Senate.
The new legislation will allow rights holders to obtain court orders to block overseas content that are found to contain copyrighted material. The legislation does not however extend to the use of VPN services, bringing into question the effectiveness of the legislation. The Austrian constitution provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. Individuals and groups engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. Authorities work to restrict access to Web sites containing information that violates the law, such as neo-Nazi and child pornography sites.
The law prohibits incitement, insult, or contempt against a group because of its members' race, nationality, or ethnicity if the statement violates human dignity and the government strictly enforces these laws. The law prohibits public denial, belittlement, approval, or justification of the Nazi genocide or other Nazi crimes against humanity in a print publication, a broadcast, or other media and the government strictly enforces these laws. Strict libel and slander laws discourage reporting of governmental abuse. Access to the Internet is unrestricted. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and press , and the government generally respects these rights in practice.
This is done when the websites are engaged in illegal activities or when they display information that is "contrary to public order or morality". There are few government restrictions on access to the Internet and no credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms without judicial oversight. The law provides for freedom of speech and press and the government generally respects these rights in practice. The constitution prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and government authorities generally respect these prohibitions in practice.
Law enforcement agencies may, with judicial oversight, intercept communications to obtain information in the interest of "national security, public order, public morals, and public safety. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet. On 21 October , Vice President Garcia Linera stated that the government records the names of people who insult President Morales on social media sites. The Bolivian constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press. Although the government generally respects these rights, in at least two cases in , the government used the anti-racism law to restrict both rights.
Bolivian law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence and the government generally respects these prohibitions, but there have been allegations that the government does not always respect the law. The law provides for freedom of speech and press ; however, the government does not always respect press freedom in practice. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina law prohibits hate speech. The Republika Srpska law does not specifically proscribe hate speech, although the law prohibits causing ethnic, racial, or religious hatred.
Independent analysts note a continuing tendency of politicians and other leaders to label unwanted criticism as hate speech. The law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms. The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press and the government generally respects these rights.
The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice. The law provides for freedom of speech and press , and the government generally respects these rights. The penal code provides for from one to four years' imprisonment for incitement to " hate speech. The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these provisions in practice.
The security services can access electronic data with judicial permission when investigating cyber and serious crimes. However, NGOs criticize gaps in the law that allow the prosecution service to request such data directly from the service providers without court authorization. There are no reports that the government attempts to collect personally identifiable information in connection with a person's peaceful expression of political, religious, or ideological opinions or beliefs. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet; however, the Superior Council of Communication SCC monitors Internet Web sites and discussion forums to ensure compliance with existing regulations.
The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and of the press , and the government generally respects these rights in practice. The law prohibits persons from insulting the head of state or using derogatory language with respect to the office; however, individuals criticize the government publicly or privately without reprisal. In cases of national security, however, the law permits surveillance, searches, and monitoring of telephones and private correspondence without a warrant.
The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press , and the government generally respects these rights. The law prohibits the media from spreading " hate " messages or from using abusive or defamatory language against public servants acting in their official role that could damage the dignity of or respect for the public office. Libel laws prohibit the public distribution of information that exposes a person to " public contempt " and carry penalties of prison terms and fines. It is illegal for anyone to display materials that may disturb the public peace.
Some journalists, lawyers, and political party, civil society, and NGO leaders allege the government uses these laws to intimidate and harass them. The constitution and law provide for the right to privacy, but the government does not always respect this right in practice. Authorities do not always respect the law requiring search warrants. Although the law provides for freedom of speech and press , it also criminalizes media offenses, and the government restricts freedoms of speech and press. Government officials threaten, harass, arrest, and deny equal treatment to individuals or organizations that criticize government policies or express views at odds with government policy.
Individuals who criticize the government publicly or privately sometimes face reprisals. Press freedom is constrained by strict libel laws that suppress criticism. These laws authorize the government, at its discretion and the request of the plaintiff, to criminalize a civil libel suit or to initiate a criminal libel suit in cases of alleged libel against the president and other high government officials.
Such crimes are punishable by prison terms and heavy fines. Although the constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, these rights are subject to restriction for the "higher interests of the state", and there are credible reports that police and gendarmes harass citizens, conduct searches without warrants, and open or seize mail with impunity.
Information, such as names of young offenders or information on criminal trials subject to publication bans , which the government is actively attempting to keep out of Canadian broadcast and print media is sometimes available to Canadian users via the Internet from sites hosted outside Canada. Project Cleanfeed Canada cybertip. However, some authors, bloggers and digital rights lawyers argue that they are accountable to no one and could be adding non pornographic sites to their list without public knowledge.
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms without judicial oversight. Internet use in the Central African Republic is low, reaching just 3. Although the constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press , authorities occasionally arrest journalists critical of the government and in some cases the government impedes individuals' right to free speech.
Similar fines and imprisonment of six months to two years may be imposed for the publication or broadcast of false or fabricated information that "would disturb the peace. Although individuals and groups can engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, few residents have access to it. The constitution provides for freedom of opinion , expression , and press , but the government does not always respect these rights.
Private individuals are generally free to criticize the government without reprisal, but reporters and publishers risk harassment from authorities when publishing critical articles. Individuals and groups can engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by electronic mail.
While the Investigations Police PDI maintains a sexual crimes unit that monitors Web sites for child pornography and prosecutes individuals for selling, storing, or trading child pornography on the Internet, there were no reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms for other purposes.
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The government does not restrict access to the Internet or monitor e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Through the end of CSAC had not refused authorization to any bloggers. Private entrepreneurs make Internet access available at moderate prices through Internet cafes in large cities throughout the country. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet, or reports the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms.
The relatively low use of the Internet 6. However, a growing proportion of the public, especially youth, are accessing the Internet more frequently and utilizing online social media. The law makes certain types of speech illegal, including incitement of ethnic hatred , violence , or civil war.
The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions. The government makes no known attempts to collect personally identifiable information via the Internet.