A 30-second call
using Skype in
Ethiopia can land you a 15-year prison sentence, thanks to new legislation
passed by the country’s government.
The new
legislation will criminalize the use of all Voice Over IP (VoIP) services, such
as Skype or Google Voice, from within the country, according to an Al
Jazeera report. The
legislation, which was voted into law last month with little notice from
international media, seems to close a loophole that was allowing some of its
citizens to communicate without being monitored by authorities.
The country’s
sole communication infrastructure is operated by government-run telecom Ethio Teleco. The new legislation empowers the state-owned
telecom to prohibit the use not only of VoIP services, but also of video chatting, social media, e-mail, and any other data
transfer service capable of communicating information. So that encompass pretty
much all communication except for speaking aloud and talking within your own
mind.
The law also
gives the government the right to inspect any imported voice communication
equipment as well as the power to ban any inbound packages that don’t have
prior permission from the state, according to the Al Jazeera report.
Anyone in the
country who uses an illegal phone service will face up to 15 years in jail and
heavy fines. Making a phone call over the Internet is punishable by 3 to 8
years in prison plus fines. Ethio Teleco also recently installed a system
for blocking access to the Tor network that users browse anonymously and access
blocked websites, according to Reporters
Without Borders.
Ethiopian
authorities claim the drastic measures called for under the new law are
necessary to protect against security threats. However, African Review notes
that observers are saying the law is instead aimed at limiting freedom of
expression and the flow of information between the nation’s 85 million people.
Read more at http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/14/ethiopia-skype-illegal/#ioyF2o4xkTsxoiyO.99
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