Censorship Profile

Report on Freedom of Information, Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE (PDF) 02/05/2007
Report sponsored by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media which reviews freedom of information, state secrets and protection of journalists sources laws in the 56 OSCE participating states. The report finds that while most OSCE countries have adopted freedom of information laws, there has been an increasing abuse of state secrets laws and illegal searches and wiretapping to limit journalists' and the public's right to know crucial information about the activities of their governments. The RFOM has also released a summary of preliminary results and a 400 page compendium of responses from national governments.

Silenced - Switzerland 21/09/2003
After 9/11, the Swiss government issued an “emergency decree” that has was extended until the end of 2003 that requires such institutions as hospitals and universities to hand over “suspicious” data to the authorities even in the absence of a formal request. In spring 2003, the government proposed a new law intended to further expand these powers.

Silenced - Africa Profile 21/09/2003
In recent years, two major trends have become evident in the evolution of African communications and media legislation. On the one hand, there is the trend to address issues relating to the global digital divide which has led to the development of ICT policies that frequently identified the importance for African economic development of freedom of expression in the new media. Conversely, a number of African countries have introduced legislation, especially legislation directed at terrorism, that curbs a number of freedoms and that provides authorities with increased power to monitor and censor communications between individuals and groups.

Silenced - Canada 21/09/2003
The Supreme Court has recognized freedom of expression as lying at the heart of a free and democratic society and inherent to the Canadian system of government. How wide a definition is this?

Silenced - Jordan 21/09/2003
In this pivotal Middle Eastern state, are all sections of society kept silent by the Monarchy's leadership or does 21st century technology allow for freedom of expression for those who have access?

Silenced - Saudi Arabia 21/09/2003
One of the main goals of the government is to protect the country and its society from “immoral
foreign influences”. This has a direct impact on the diffusion of Internet technologies in the kingdom. It also limits internal democracy and internal opposition voices.

Silenced - Tunisia 21/09/2003
The Internet arrived in Tunisia in the mid 1990’s and is now the most developed environment in Northern Africa. President Zein Al Abdeen Bin Aly has embraced the Internet in order to promote economic development. However, is this economic prosperity mirrored by equally liberal freedom of expression laws?

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?