Iran Ranked as World’s Worst Internet Oppressor

Iran has been dubbed the "least free" country in terms of internet freedom in a new report titled, "Freedom on the Net 2011: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media."

The report, published by American NGO Freedom House, calculated Iran to be the most restricted country after China, Cuba, and Burma. Estonia ranked as the freest country, with the United States and Germany following. The rankings are based on three factors: obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights.

It's no surprise that Iran is ranked as the worst internet oppressor. According to the report, "since the protests that followed the disputed presidential election of June 12, 2009, the Iranian authorities have waged an active campaign against internet freedom, employing extensive and sophisticated methods of control that go well beyond simple content filtering," including intimidating and arresting those who write "offensive" posts or blogs.

More than 50 bloggers have been arrested since the government began implementing more extensive Internet control measures, such as the Computer Crime Law. Some have been subject to torture and solitary confinement. At least one blogger, Omidreza Mirsayafi, died in police custody. A large number of bloggers and activists have also fled the country and sought asylum in neighboring countries since the government crackdown.

One of Iran’s most recent attempts at further internet censorship has been the introduction of plans for a "halal internet," a nation-wide intranet conforming to Islamic principles with the aim of countering the "western-dominated" internet. According to Iran’s head of economic affairs, the "halal internet" would be a means of improving communication and trade links with the world and would be "aimed at Muslims on an ethical and moral level." Critics suspect the halal internet would ultimately withhold information from the public and be subject to extensive censorship.