Bahrain

Bahrain has one of the region’s highest levels of Internet penetration, alongside Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. However the struggle launched by the government against sectarianism has limited access to some websites. The information ministry, with which websites have had to register since 2005, on 14 January 2009 ordered the country’s access providers to block some political and commercial content, specifying that it alone had the power to go back on the decision. Since then, websites that provide help in getting round censorship have also been inaccessible. As a result, Internet users cannot go on to some pages on social networking sites such as Facebook, seen as critical of government policy, along with 66 other websites dealing with human rights or politics. The information ministry however conceded that some blocking did result in “technical errors”. In order to fight censorship, Bahraini bloggers have devised their own code of ethics, finalised on 14 August 2008. This code of conduct should help limit proliferation of incitement to hatred online. The code says, “We reject all writing or allusions containing a sectarian message, incitement to hatred, abuse of freedom of worship or belief”. While a new draft law is under discussion allowing the authorities to shut down websites without recourse to the courts, the government has decided to strengthen its policy of holding on to people’s personal details in the name of national security. Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) on 25 February 2009 launched a public charter for Internet regulation. Aimed at operators authorised to provide Internet, it will define technical methods needed to “guarantee national security”. Under this charter, and also article 78 of the telecommunications law, operators must offer “legal and secure” Internet access. They also have the obligation to allow “security organs to access the network for national security reasons”. They have until 26 March to make any representations to the authorities.