Syria orders cybercafe owners to ID customers
'Iron censorship' extended
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Syria has ordered cybercafe owners to take down details of customers in an extension of its "iron censorship" of the web, according to monitoring group the Syrian Media Centre.
Proprietors are now obliged to record clients' names, ID card numbers and the time they spend online, and present the resulting data "regularly to the authorities".
The Centre's head, Mazen Darwich, told Reuters: "These steps are designed to terrorize internet users and spread fear and self censorship in violation of the right to privacy and free expression. The government has been methodical in extending the scope of its iron censorship."
The Syrian authorities have of late been flexing their muscles in cyberspace. Facebook, YouTube, Syrian opposition websites and Lebanese newspapers and Lebanese groups "opposed to what they call Syrian interference in Lebanon" are strictly off-limits to Syrian surfers.
The Syrian Media Centre claims "at least" 153 websites are blocked in Syria, "with bans expanding over the past few weeks to Googleblog and the Arab Maktoobblog". Darwich noted: "Open forums have been used by thousands of Syrians to launch a counter-offensive against the government's curbs on public expression."
The powers that be have responded by targetting outspoken individuals. Syrian human rights organizations say a poet is "facing trial... for publishing articles on a civic society forum", while "another writer spent a week in prison for an internet piece about fuel and electricity shortages".
A teacher from rural Reka province, meanwhile, is also due up before the beak for "criticising online what he described as patronage and nepotism in the state-run education system".
The government did not comment on the latest measure, but officials defended internet controls against "attempts to spread sectarian divisions" and "penetration by Israel". ®
COMMENTS
dude...
dude I'm from syria....this law was passed like 6 months ago, but was never enforced. Two of my mates own internet cafes and they have not been asked to record anyone's ID or surfing activity.
I myself run an online Syrian discussion forum with 47,000 members and have never been harassed by anyone.
So please next time get your facts straight and try to report the news as it happens, not half a year later.
Italy and Syria
Yeah... when we were in italy we had show ID at cybercafes. You had the feeling the cafe owners didn't give a toss, just wanted the gov't to leave them alone.
In Syria, it's weird what technology you can't get too. I relied on having a Java plugin in my browser to upload pics.... ummmm export controls etc....-> no plugin.... very weird. Couldn't download it either. Was blocked.
@Sillyfellow
Firstly what you link to is a consultation document, not an actual law and secondly, as far as I can see much of that consultation is simply designed at fixing the mess that the Government made previously which allowed Brian Haw to continue his demonstration!
BTW mixing fact with conspiracy fiction such as: 'loosing' our details and thyen doing nothing when you get fraudulated, chemtrails and stuff in our water and vaccines poisoning us, a medical health system that kills people and don't care about the rest..terrorism in general (which is ALL bullshit designed to keep you frightened and alow more conrol over you),..." isn't going to help convince people of your cause.
PS I love the word "fraudulated" though :-)
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