Censorship Profile

Silenced - North America Profile 21/09/2003
Few people would deny that the events of September 11th 2001 have inspired a profound effect on many aspects of international relations, public policy, the military matrix and the world economy. And nowhere, with the exception perhaps of Iraq, has the impact been greater than in the United States. As the reports in this section demonstrate, civil rights that have been taken for granted for so many decades are now under assault both in the US and in Canada.

Silenced - Germany 21/09/2003
Governmental initiatives such as “Internet für Alle” (Internet for All) has boosted the acceptance and accessibility of the Internet in Germany. As the popularity and importance of the medium grows, so too does the German society’s awareness about censorship and data protection issues.

Silenced - Russia 21/09/2003
The Constitution of the Russian Federation recognises the right to privacy: data protection and secrecy of communications. However, does President Putin's rule over such a massive geographical and social space embolden such tenets, especially in the face of 'terror' activities?

Silenced - Spain 21/09/2003
Current Spanish Internet law may be a powerful weapon in hands of the government. For example, it can classify a severely critical Web site as a “commercial service” and fine it up to the law’s maximum of €600,000. Is this censorship by stealth?

Silenced - Zimbabwe 21/09/2003
Media in Zimbabwe operate in one of the most repressive environments on the continent. Media workers are regularly harassed, detained and beaten by the police. The Internet has generally escaped government censorship because of its relatively low user group, but restrictive media laws have been introduced that can be used against Internet communications.

Silenced - Philippines 21/09/2003
Since 1992, mobile phone growth in the Philippines has surpassed its ASEAN counterparts to become one of the first countries where the number of mobile telephones is greater than fixed telephone lines. Has Manilla's legal framework facilitated this embrace of modern forms of communication, and if so, how liberally?

Silenced - France 21/09/2003
The French Constitution protects the free communication of ideas and opinions whether expressed through speaking, writing or publishing, but it also states that citizens may be accountable in cases specified by law if these rights are abused. The main provisions against such abuses are specified by the law on Freedom of the press and the law on Freedom of Communication.

Silenced - Qatar 21/09/2003
Home to “Al-Jazeera” and a large foreign population, is this Arab state really as liberal in terms of media expression internally as it is externally?

Silenced - Thailand 21/09/2003
The state authorities seem to see it as their duty to protect their citizens from information that they themselves deem undesirable. Is this contrary to the notion of a free media?

Silenced - Uzbekistan 21/09/2003
Civil rights are limited in Uzbekistan. Since the 9/11 attacks, Uzbekistan, because of its proximity to Afghanistan, has hosted US airbases in return for increased aid from the US. The US has been criticised for not using this partnership to press for human rights improvements within the country which, are surely needed.

Silenced - Asia Profile 21/09/2003
This diverse region is full of diverse political systems, and practices.

Silenced - Ethiopia 21/09/2003
Does this ancient, uniquely independent African nation implement open, liberal freedom of expression laws or does the need to manage a large, empoverished state lead to centralised, oppressive regulations?

Silenced - Burma 21/09/2003
It should be no surprise that the Burmese regime has put in place possibly the most obviously restrictive electronic media laws and stipulations to date. How long can such measures be sustainined in a globally aware environment?

Silenced - South Korea 21/09/2003
After the country was damaged by an economic crisis in the mid-1990s, the Korean government declared that one solution for reviving the economy lay in the development of ICTs. Is Seoul equally commited to ensuring electronic media access is widespread and liberal?

Silenced - The United States of America 21/09/2003
Built on the notion of freedom and liberty for all, does America still uphold such values without exception or has 9/11 allowed too much to change too much?

Silenced - Peru 21/09/2003
Approximately ten percent of the Peruvian population has access to the Internet. The vast majority of these people live in the western La Costa region which makes up about 10 percent of the country. Is Lima approaching electronic media access equitably and are its laws underpinned by the notion of free expression and individual privacy?

Silenced - Egypt 21/09/2003
Does the need to meet foreign policy concerns and eliminate political Islam mean this ancient nation stifles and censors electronic media growth, reach and freedom?

Silenced - Bahrain 21/09/2003
Can Bahrain prove to be the most open modern communication state in an otherwise restrictive region or perhaps just a short lived legal phenomonen?

Silenced - South Africa 21/09/2003
The Constitution has some of the strongest protections of Freedom of Expression, right to
information and privacy in the world. The government has enacted a number of controversial laws relating to communications in the last several years but Internet censorship has been limited to date.

Silenced - Morocco 21/09/2003
By all accounts, the Internet in Morocco is generally one of the most liberated in Africa, although access levels remain low due to the high cost for users. According to a Human Rights Watch report on Internet access in the region, “The government of Morocco does not restrict access to the Internet
or censor content.” However, this may soon be changing.