Why is Syria blocking Skype.com?
An Egyptian blogger reported Syrian authorities now block web services including Facebook.com, Amazon.com, eBay's Skype.com, Microsoft's Hotmail.com, Google's Blogger.com, Google Earth and YouTube.com. It's provoking a response in the Syrian blogosphere and on social networks.
Blocking Skype and the other sites may be a government security concern, not an economic one.
I have some confirmation of Skype.com blockage but I'm seeking more. Know anyone who can help?
Related links:
- Syria Ministry of Communications and Technology
- Global Voices Online: Syria: Facebook Banned
- Global Voices Online: Syria: A Protest Against Censorship
- Ensan Sur's Facebook protest group
Thanks for the tip on Skype-Watch: Skype blocked in Syria.
tags: skype skype skype journal blocking censorship syria sy .sy
Comments
Well, its not a question of liberties why Skype was blocked, but imagine a country where the only state run company that is making profits getting out of business because of a cheaper, more efficient service like Skype. Skype was in actual fact operated in Syria, I think for less than three months, at which time ste (Syrian Telecommunications Establishment) suffered great losses.
Posted by: simon | December 10, 2007 04:50 AM
now, as for youtube, it was blocked when the info branch at smi recieved a report on a post by asyrian user of the service from the city of aleppo. if you search the name of the lion on youtube (the name in arabic) you get the result of what that aleppian posted. the branch couldnot bring him in, and so was the decision to blobk youtube
Posted by: eamonn | December 10, 2007 04:57 AM
some wild guessing and speculation on www.skype-watch.com . check it out phil.
Posted by: jan geirnaert | tropicaljantie | December 10, 2007 11:44 AM