Study Finds 25 Countries Block Web Sites

The OpenNet Initiative, a collaboration between researchers at Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the University of Toronto, had the time and capabilities to study only 40 countries and the Palestinian territories. The group found that at least 25 countries around the world block Web sites for political, social or other reasons. Researchers said they found more censorship than they had initially expected, a sign that the Internet has matured to the point that governments are taking notice. China, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia and Vietnam had the most extensive filters for political sites. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling and gay and lesbian sites.