Editing Telecommunications in Syria (section)

===Internet censorship===
{{update section|date=September 2022}}
{{Main |Internet censorship in Syria}}
Internet filtering in Syria was found to be pervasive in the political and Internet tools areas, and selective in the social and conflict/security areas by the [[OpenNet Initiative]] in August 2009.<ref name=ONI-Syria>[http://opennet.net/research/profiles/syria "ONI Country Profile: Syria"], OpenNet Initiative, August 2009</ref> Syria has been on [[Reporters Without Borders]] Enemy-of-the-Internet list since 2006 when the list was established.<ref name=RWBEnemies>[http://en.rsf.org/internet-enemie-syria,39779.html "Internet Enemies: Syria"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518055039/http://en.rsf.org/internet-enemie-syria%2C39779.html |date=18 May 2011 }}, Reporters Without Borders, March 2011</ref> In 2009, the Committee to Protect Journalists named Syria number three in a list of the ten worst countries in which to be a blogger, given the arrests, harassment, and restrictions which online writers in Syria have faced.<ref>[http://www.cpj.org/reports/2009/04/10-worst-countries-to-be-a-blogger.php "10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger"], Committee to Protect Journalists, 30 April 2009</ref>

Syria has banned websites for political reasons and arrested people accessing them. In addition to filtering a wide range of Web content, the Syrian government monitors Internet use very closely and has detained citizens "for expressing their opinions or reporting information online." Vague and broadly worded laws invite government abuse and have prompted Internet users to engage in self-censoring and self-monitoring to avoid the state's ambiguous grounds for arrest.<ref name="ONI-Syria"/><ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3824595.stm|title= Syrian jailed for internet usage|date= 21 June 2004|work= BBC News}}</ref>

In February 2011 Syria stopped filtering [[YouTube]], [[Facebook]], and [[Twitter]].<ref>{{cite web|date=8 February 2011|url=http://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?articleid=73458|title=الغاء الحجب عن موقع "فيسبوك" في سورية (Syrian government abolishes bans on "Facebook" and "YouTube")|language=ar|publisher=D Press News|access-date=23 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220204436/http://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?articleid=73458|archive-date=20 February 2019|url-status=dead}} ([http://www.google.com/translate_c?langpair=en&u=http://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?articleid=73458 English translation])</ref>

[[Voice over Internet Protocol]] ([[VoIP]]) is blocked completely and requires a proxy or [[Virtual Private Network]] ([[VPN]]) to work around it.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=l6ry0NeJ1N8C&dq=VoIP+blocked+syria&pg=PA12 "Measuring Global Internet Filtering"], Robert Faris and Nart Villeneuve, in ''Access denied: the practice and policy of global Internet filtering'', Ronald Deibert (ed), OpenNet Initiative, 2008</ref> However, VoIP operators that utilize non-standard [[Session Initiation Protocol]] (SIP) ports may function behind Syria's proxy.

[[Internet cafes]], which are widespread and accessible to the public for a fee, can be used to access blocked sites.<ref name="ISN2008">{{cite web|author=Institute for War and Peace Reporting|date=3 June 2008|url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?ots591=4888CAA0-B3DB-1461-98B9-E20E7B9C13D4&lng=en&id=88422|title=Syrian youth break through internet blocks|access-date=1 February 2010}}</ref> However, more restrictions have been placed on internet cafes, all public internet centers need operating approval from the security services, are required to keep detailed records of their customers' surfing habits, and people have been arrested after accessing blocked content.<ref>[http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/syria-tightens-control-over-internet "Syria tightens control over internet"], Phil Sands, ''The National'' (Abu Dhabi), 30 September 2008</ref>