Youtube and New York Times sites blocked as iran steps up censorship of foreign content

Reporters Without Borders expressed deep concern for the future of the Internet in Iran where censorship is now the rule rather than the exception, after the video sharing website YouTube and that of the US daily New York Times were added to the country’s blacklist.

In addition, the English version of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia was blocked from 1-3 December 2006. These steps come two months after Iran banned high-speed Internet access.

"The government is trying to create a digital border to stop culture and news coming from abroad – a vision of the Net which is worrying for the country’s future”, the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

“But, more generally it is a threat to the worldwide web which, instead of aiding understanding between peoples could be changed into a medium of intolerance. The Iranian government policy is not an isolated case. It is getting closer and closer to that of the authorities in China, with particular stress being laid on censorship of cultural output”, it added.

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