[UgaBYTES] Study: Ethiopia only sub-Sahara Africa nation that filters the Net

[Sandra Nassali]

Though various African countries monitor and restrict Internet access in
some way, Ethiopia is the only country with a technical filtering regime in
the sub-Saharan region, according to a report by OpenNet Initiative, a
collaborative partnership between Harvard, Toronto, Cambridge and Oxford
universities.

The study, conducted in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe between 2008
and 2009, found that though sub-Saharan Africa has a history of controlling
freedom of expression, Ethiopia was the only country filtering the Internet.

he research cites sporadic IP blocking of sites, rather than more
sophisticated URL blocking. Most filtering targets political content.
However, many countries in the region also practice other forms of
censorship such as arresting or threatening bloggers, online journalists and
Internet users.

"Ethiopia's filtering regime targets independent media, blogs, and political
reform and human rights sites; many prominent sites that are critical of the
Ethiopian government remain accessible, while some blocked sites seem
harmless," said the report.

According to the study, various blogs as well as the Nazret Web site, which
aggregates Ethiopian content, are blocked. The sites of opposition political
parties, minority ethnic groups, independent news organizations and
Ethiopia-specific human rights organizations appeared to be a priority for
blocking, though many international sites containing comparable information
(such as CNN, Voice of America, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty
International) were not blocked.

To ensure compliance with government directives, the Ethiopia government
restricts provision of Internet access to the state-owned Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) and the Ethiopian Telecommunication
Agency (ETA). The ETA grants the ETC a monopoly license as Ethiopia's sole
ISP (Internet service provider) and seller of domain names under the country
code top-level domain, ".et." Internet cafés and other resellers of Internet
services must be licensed by the ETA and must purchase their access through
the ETC.

"In late December 2006, ETA gave a directive requiring Internet cafés to log
the names and addresses of individual customers, apparently as part of an
effort to track users who engaged in illegal activities online. The lists
are to be turned over to the police, and Internet café owners who fail to
register users face prison," the report said.

Zimbabwe has been singled out for "sub-Saharan Africa's most extensive"
surveillance regimes.

"The Zimbabwe Post and Telecommunications Act of 2000 allows the government
to monitor e-mail usage and requires ISPs to supply information to
government officials when requested," the report said.

Due to the political problems that have bedeviled Zimbabwe, the government
strengthened its Internet surveillance policies with the Communications Bill
of 2006, which established a telecommunications agency called the Monitoring
and Interception of Communications Center. It also requires
telecommunications and Internet service providers to ensure that their
systems are technically capable of monitoring.

After the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City many governments enacted
antiterrorism laws, and in some cases the laws were used to suppress freedom
of expression. Dissident voices were cited for terrorism or treason.

"The initial draft of Uganda's Interception of Communications Bill of 2007
allowed phone tapping and other forms of electronic surveillance on people
suspected of committing terrorism or crimes against the State without
requiring a court order," said Rebekah Heacock, the report author.

In Nigeria, the Communications Act 2003 gives the government the authority
to require people to supply any information for the purposes of national
security. Punishment for refusal includes a year in prison and a fine of
US$676.

The report concludes that although the region does not have widespread
Internet filtering, it does not necessarily indicate that the countries are
taking an intentionally open approach to the Internet.

*computerworldafrica*

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Sandra Nassali
Community Facilitator
UgaBYTES Initiative (www.ugabytes.org)
Telecentre.org  (www.telecentrecommunity.ning.com)
Plot 2218 Ggaba Road,
2nd Floor Kangave House
P.O. Box 6081 K'la
Email  snassali at ugabytes.org
chat    (skype)- n.sandra.
Tel      +256-414-370163