About IFEX:

News by region:

IFEX Campaigns and Advocacy:

IFEX Email Products:

Opportunities and assistance:

RSF report on cyber censorship lists regimes being monitored for violations

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) celebrated World Day Against Cyber Censorship on 11 March to rally the international community in support of a free Internet, accessible to everyone. Regimes worldwide are attempting to control the flow of information online, but resilient netizens are mobilising to circumvent Internet restrictions. RSF launched a report listing countries considered to be enemies of the Internet as well as those under surveillance for clamping down on Internet users.

The report, "Enemies of the Internet - Countries Under Surveillance," presents the worst violators of freedom of expression on the Net: Saudi Arabia, Burma, China, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. Internet shutdowns or major slowdowns are common during periods of unrest under several regimes. Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan utilise massive filtering, so Internet users are pressured to self-censor. China, Egypt, Tunisia and Vietnam maintain tight control over the Web's political and social content.

Australia is under surveillance because of the upcoming implementation of a sophisticated Internet filtering system. South Korea's draconian laws are imposing heavy restrictions on Internet users, challenging their anonymity and promoting self-censorship.

"The Internet's potential as a portal open to the world directly contradicts the propensity of these regimes to isolate themselves from other countries."