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Tunisian Court Reinstates Web Censorship
Tunisian Court Reinstates Web Censorship
Internet censorship may have returned to Tunisia in the form of new anti-porn blocks.-
A Tunisian court recently ordered the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI) to put in place internet filters that would effectively block access to pornographic content for all users.
The Tunisian Internet Agency refused to implement a judge's May 26th order to block pornographic sites. Instead, the agency sought a stay of the ruling, a motion which was denied on June 13th.
The case will move to appeals, but the current ruling has raised concerns that wide-scale censorship could creep back, though the conservative lawyers who brought the case to court claimed they were targeting porn specifically.
"These pornographic sites have negative effects on the psychological, physiological, social and educational level on individuals and they go against the values of Arab-Islamic society," lawyer Monem Torki told Magharebia.
In response to the ruling, the ATI has said it will slowly start to reinstate the blocks, despite the anti-censorship views of the ATI director himself.
At the time of the appeal, ATI director Moez Chakchouk was reported to have said that he would refuse to have filtering equipment in his own home.
Opponents of the ruling say applying filters to pornographic sites is just the first step along the road to reinstating the kind of censorship that typified the Ben Ali regime. Others point out that those who want to access illicit material will find a way around government filters.
"Those who want access to such porn sites or to watch pornographic films have many solutions. These lawyers are promoting the theory of 'everything prohibited is desirable,' and Tunisian youth are intelligent and skilled in technology and will find many ways to access such sites."
Here, journalists earlier this year demonstrate in support of freedom of information.
The case will be heard again on July 4 in an appeals court, where another judge will rule on the legality of the internet filters. If it stands, the case would call into question exactly what kind of lasting change was thrown into effect by the revolution this past January.
"The internet has many repercussions on the economy of the country and the country's image abroad. Thus, any process to block hurts its image, and moreover, blocking must be within clear legal frameworks," Chakchouk said.
The Stream reached out to Slim Amamou, a Tunisian blogger turned government minister who recently resigned his post over censorship issues.
Others responded as well.
@AJStream When was the last time you heard someone stand up for pornography? Plenty of countries block it.
@AJStream @slim404 Sorry to nose in but u have to know this, blockage of any info for any reason is #censorship. Which is not good for ppl.
@Anon_Central I know that. I'll stand against it. But ppl here are very conservative with anything related to sexuality. cc @AJStream
@Anon_Central most criticism I got when I was Sec. of State was because I publicly adopted this position against porn censorship @AJStream
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