Censor wanted for Pakistan's internet
PAKISTAN is advertising for companies to install an internet filtering system that could block up to 50 million web addresses, alarming free speech activists who fear current censorship could become much more widespread.
Internet access for Pakistan's some 20 million web users is less restricted than in many countries in Asia and the Arab world, though some pornographic sites and those seen as insulting to Islam are blocked. Others related to separatist activities or army criticism have also been, or continue to be, censored.
Few nations have so publicly revealed their plans to censor the web as Pakistan is doing, however. Last month, the government took out newspaper and web advertisements asking for companies or institutions to develop the national filtering and blocking system.
Like in many Asian countries where pornographic materials are banned, Pakistan currently tries to block adult websites. It also seeks to censor what it sees as "blasphemous" content toward Islam, as other Muslim nations do.
In 2008, the government blocked YouTube because of anti-Islamic movies on the site; in 2010, it blocked Facebook for two weeks amid anger over a page that encouraged users to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
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