Dubai: Envoys in Dubai signed a new UN telecommunications treaty on Friday that a US-led delegation says endorses greater government control of the Internet. The US and more than 20 other countries refused to ratify the accord by the 193-nation International Telecommunications Union.
Here is a look at Internet restrictions and availability at selected countries and regions around the world:
North Korea
Internet use is extremely restricted with many of North Korea's 24 million people unable to get online. Some North Koreans can access an internal Intranet that connects to state media. Members of the elite, resident foreigners and visitors in certain hotels are allowed full access to the Internet....
more
04:58 PM, Dec 15, 2012
Shanghai: Some Chinese Internet users have this week been able to access blocked websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, relishing the newfound freedom although the reason for the breach in China's Great Firewall of censorship was a mystery. China blocks most foreign social networking sites (SNS) out of fear that unfettered access would lead to instability. Chinese SNS firms have filled the void by offering similar products that censor...
03:48 PM, Feb 29, 2012
Beijing: The Beijing city government said on Friday it would tighten control over popular microblogs that have vexed authorities with their rapid dissemination of news, giving users three months to register with their real names or face legal consequences. China has repeatedly criticized microblogs for irresponsibly spreading what it calls unfounded rumours and vulgarity and has issued a series of warnings in recent months that online content must be acceptable...
01:00 PM, Dec 16, 2011
Beijing: China has shut 50 microblogs for distributing pornography and carrying "vulgar content", state media said on Monday, as the government steps up monitoring of the internet. "The microblogs were shut down for violations that include carrying pornographic images and videos, information for prostitution, as well as illegal advertising for sex-related drugs and productions," Xinhua news agency said. "Members of the public reported the microblogs, which were then investigated and...
06:35 PM, Oct 31, 2011
Beijing/Shanghai: China will intensify controls of online social media and instant messaging tools, the ruling Communist Party said in an agenda-setting document that marks the government's highest-level reaction so far to the explosive growth of microblogs. Beijing's vow to strengthen Internet administration and promote content acceptable to the ruling party appeared in the communique of a recent party leadership conclave published in the official People's Daily on Wednesday. Communiques from...
12:45 PM, Oct 26, 2011
New York: Eight New York residents sued Baidu Inc and the People's Republic of China on Wednesday, accusing China's biggest search engine of conspiring with the country's government to censor pro-democracy speech. The lawsuit claims violations of the US Constitution and according to the plaintiffs' lawyer is the first of its type. In an unorthodox move it names not only a company but also the Chinese state as defendants. The...
07:30 AM, May 19, 2011
Beijing: China announced a new State Internet Information Office on Wednesday to unify the squabbling agencies that oversee the Chinese Internet, which Beijing views as both a potential gold mine and a political threat. The State Internet Information Office appears intended to help improve coordination and rivalry among the dozen or more Chinese government ministries and agencies with a stake in the Internet. It will be based in the State...
07:34 AM, May 05, 2011
Beijing: China shut down more than 60,000 pornographic websites this year, netting almost 5,000 suspects in the process, a government spokesman said on Thursday, vowing no let-up in its campaign against material deemed obscene. Beijing has run a highly publicised drive against what officials said was smutty and lewd content overwhelming the country's Internet and cell phones, threatening the emotional health of children. Critics accuse the Chinese government of deepening...
12:08 PM, Dec 30, 2010
Beijing: Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg met with some of China's top technology leaders, fuelling speculation about the social networking website's ambitions to enter the country's market where it is censored. Zuckerberg Wednesday visited the offices of Sina Corp., a leading Chinese web portal, and met with its CEO Charles Chao, the Wall Street Journal reported. Wednesday's meeting followed a talk Tuesday with Wang Jianzhou, chairman of state-owned...
06:25 PM, Dec 23, 2010
Google said its report that search services in China were fully blocked could have because of a technical glitch. ...
11:28 AM, Jul 30, 2010
China's press watchdog has threatened to shut down more than 120 websites offering pornographic fiction. ...
11:01 AM, Jul 16, 2010
Dozens of blogs by some of China's most outspoken users have been abruptly shut down. ...
09:16 PM, Jul 15, 2010
Chinese social networking websites that provide Twitter-like services have suddenly reverted to testing mode. ...
01:34 PM, Jul 14, 2010
Developers of China's Green Dam Internet filter have not received government funding in the past year. ...
01:31 PM, Jul 14, 2010
A Chinese government-backed think tank has accused the US of using social-networking sites to spur political unrest. ...
06:41 PM, Jul 10, 2010
China will not ease state control over what can be said online and will brook no foreign criticism of its rules. ...
12:39 PM, Jun 08, 2010
