Schneier calls Dubai Internet censorship "reasonable"

["Larry Seltzer" <larry () larryseltzer com>]

Link to the blog for those without HTML e-mail: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/11/censorship_in_d.html

 

Larry Seltzer
eWEEK.com Security Center Editor
http://security.eweek.com/
http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/
Contributing Editor, PC Magazine
larry.seltzer () ziffdavisenterprise com

 

Feed: Schneier on Security
Posted on: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 1:56 PM
Author: schneier
Subject: Censorship in Dubai

 

I was in Dubai last weekend for the World Economic Forum Summit on the Global Agenda. (I was on the "Future of the 
Internet" council; fellow council members Ethan Zuckerman 
<http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/11/10/the-weekend-in-dubai/>  and Jeff 
<http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/11/09/a-fundamental-reboot/>  Jarvis 
<http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/11/10/where-is-dubai/>  have written about the event.)

As part of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai censors <http://opennet.net/research/profiles/uae>  the Internet:

        The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pervasively filters Web sites that contain pornography or 
relate to alcohol and drug use, gay and lesbian issues, or online dating or gambling. Web-based applications and 
religious and political sites are also filtered, though less extensively. Additionally, legal controls limit free 
expression and behavior, restricting political discourse and dissent online.

More detail here <http://opennet.net/studies/uae> .

What was interesting to me about how reasonable the execution of the policy was. Unlike some countries -- China for 
example -- that simply block objectionable content, the UAE displays a screen 
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/alarch/319965943/>  indicating that the URL has been blocked and offers information about 
its appeals process.

 <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/schneier/fulltext?a=JypUN>  <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/schneier/fulltext?a=RbSTN> 


View article... <http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/11/censorship_in_d.html> 

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