Too Much Freedom of Expression for the UN

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The watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is criticizing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for dropping its sponsorship of RSF's Online Free Expression Day. As part of the event, RSF published a list of countries it dubbed "Internet Enemies," for imprisoning people for their writings online. The list includes Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe. RSF accused UNESCO of "groveling" to "authoritarian regimes." UNESCO responded that RSF's event "did not follow the arrangements agreed upon." UNESCO said the event included information "concerning a number of UNESCO's Member States, which UNESCO had not been informed of and could not endorse. Furthermore, UNESCO's logo was placed in such a way as to indicate the Organization's support of the information presented."

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Syria clamps down

From [http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL138353620080313 Reuters]:

Syrian authorities have ordered Internet cafe users to reveal their identity, the latest measure in their "iron censorship" of cyberspace. ...

Security officials ordered Internet cafe owners this week to take down the names and identification cards of their clients as well as the times they come and leave. ...

The records are to be presented regularly to the authorities, who targeted bloggers and Internet writers in recent months as part of a renewed campaign against dissent.