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Countries Blacklisted for Internet Censorship

An updated list, published by the civil rights group, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) last week, shows that many countries continue to censor internet content and suppress freedom of expression through online blogs. RSP monitors civil liberties around the globe, and internet use is one of the freedoms that it constantly keeps an eye on. Egypt has been added to the blacklist, while a number of countries have been removed after improving their web censorship.

Reporters Without Borders found that the Egyptian government?s authoritarianism on issues relating to the internet was particularly worrying. They expressed concern over the recent arrest of three bloggers who were detained for a period of two months for simply stating that they were in favor of democratic reform in their country. Egyptian law also states that a website can be shut down if its content poses a threat to national security.

On the other hand, RSF removed several countries from its list, including Libya. While this North African country has been blacklisted in the past, recent investigations showed that there is no longer internet censorship in the country. Other countries removed included Nepal and the Maldives, after the latter freed three people linked with ?internet-crimes? from prison. There are currently thirteen countries on the RSF blacklist, including North Korea (considered by the group as the ?worst internet black hole in the world?), China, Iran and Cuba.