List of nations that keep tabs on Internet users and the websites they visit, and that harshly penalize those who break the law
Being monitored while using the Internet is annoying, as you will be careful not to do many things that you do not want anyone to print on you. However, you will definitely be surprised if you know that some countries in the world follow strict laws, and because of the tightening, they have begun to monitor their citizens’ use of the Internet, and we will tell you some of them.
- Ethiopia
Although Ethiopia does not have many internet users, this has not prevented it from being among the most important countries that monitor users’ use of the network. All of this happened due to the anti-terrorism legislation in Ethiopia, and since then the country has been taking measures to suppress dissent and punish anyone who violates the laws via the Internet.
North Korea
North Korea has strict rules, and not many people use the Internet, making it one of the most isolated countries in the world, and only a small percentage of the population has access to and uses the Internet.
Equatorial Guinea
For this country, there is a lot of focus on monitoring journalists, and here we are talking about news content, as the government tracks various news sites and any controversial or destabilizing news in the country may lead to its author being imprisoned or punished.
- China
China has become more advanced in many areas, and censorship systems cannot be excluded. Thus, it constantly blocks access to many websites, in addition to seeking to block websites that contradict the state’s policies. In addition, it monitors citizens’ use of the network and the websites that are visited, all of this in order to prevent protests and opposition.
- Vietnam
In fact, this country may not be as strict as the others on this list because social media sites have not been blocked there, but political content and all news spread on the sites are still monitored, in addition to attempts to limit rumors and issues sensitive to the country.
-Iran
This country continues to tighten its grip on citizens who use the Internet, as it has blocked the most popular social networking sites and many others while eliminating any news or political sites, and the new government has issued a statement that it will continue to restrict Internet access for its citizens.