Editing Mass media in Libya (section)

===The Internet and the Libyan revolution===
{{See also |Free speech in the media during the Libyan revolution}}
{{Update|date=May 2016}}
In 2006 Reporters Without Borders (RWB) removed Libya from their list of Internet enemies after a fact-finding visit found no evidence of Internet censorship.<ref name="rsf">[http://en.rsf.org/list-of-the-13-internet-enemies-07-11-2006,19603 List of the 13 Internet enemies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522031729/http://en.rsf.org/list-of-the-13-internet-enemies-07-11-2006,19603 |date=2010-05-22 }} Reporters Without Borders (Paris), 11&nbsp;July 2006.</ref> The OpenNet Initiative’s 2007–2008 technical test results contradicted that conclusion, however.<ref name=ONICP-Libya/> In 2009 ONI classified Internet filtering in Libya as selective in the political area and as no evidence in social, conflict/security, and Internet tools.<ref name=ONICountryProfiles>[http://opennet.net/research/profiles "ONI Country Profiles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526113823/https://opennet.net/research/profiles |date=26 May 2020 }}, Research section at the OpenNet Initiative web site, a collaborative partnership of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto; the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; and the SecDev Group, Ottawa</ref>

Prior to the Libyan revolution, Internet filtering under the Gaddafi regime had become more selective, focusing on a few political opposition Web sites. This relatively lenient filtering policy coincided with what was arguably a trend toward greater openness and increasing freedom of the press. However, the legal and political climate continued to encourage self-censorship in online media.<ref name=ONICP-Libya>[http://opennet.net/research/profiles/libya "ONI Country Profile: Libya"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929005606/https://opennet.net/research/profiles/libya |date=29 September 2018 }}, OpenNet Initiative, 6 August 2009</ref>

On 18 February 2011, the day after the first protests that were to lead to the [[2011 Libyan revolution]], Libya appeared to have withdrawn all of its [[Border Gateway Protocol|BGP]] prefix announcements from the Internet for a short period, cutting it off from the rest of the global Internet. The prefix were re-advertised six hours later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/02/libyan-disconnect-1.shtml|title=Libyan Disconnect|author=James Cowie|publisher=Renesys|date=2011-02-18|access-date=19 February 2011|archive-date=23 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423120803/http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/02/libyan-disconnect-1.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There was no traffic for several hours on 19 and 20 February. Service picked up over the next few days to almost normal levels until, at 6:00am on 3 March, traffic effectively ceased (except for very limited satellite links). The government had severed the underwater backbone fibre-optic cable that runs along the coast, linking networks in the east and servers in the west of the country. Engineers reckon the break is between the cities of [[Misrata]] and [[Khoms, Libya|Khoms]], and may be a physical or electronic rupture.<ref name=AlJazeera/>

From 10 July traffic began increasing again, and after a brief shutdown on 15 July, it was reaching about 15% of its pre-17 February levels up to 22 August, the day Tripoli fell to the rebels. Traffic began increasing again at that point, and as of 2 September was reaching daily levels in excess of 50% and often as high as 75% of pre-war levels.<ref>[http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/traffic/?r=LY&l=WEBSEARCH&csd=1297619832558&ced=1298748600000 Graphs of Google traffic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029054501/http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/traffic/?r=LY&l=WEBSEARCH&csd=1297619832558&ced=1298748600000 |date=29 October 2011 }}, which give a reasonable picture of all Internet traffic, Google Transparency Report, accessed 6 July 2012</ref>

The overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in the fall of 2011 did not end an era of censorship. In 2012, RWB removed Libya from its list of countries under surveillance.<ref name=RWBEnemies>[http://march12.rsf.org/i/Report_EnemiesoftheInternet_2012.pdf ''Internet Enemies''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323215225/http://march12.rsf.org/i/Report_EnemiesoftheInternet_2012.pdf |date=2012-03-23 }}, Reporters Without Borders (Paris), 12&nbsp;March 2012</ref>