Syrian ISP Blocks Blogspot.com

Damascus-based bloggers reported Wednesday that Syrian Telecom, one of two main internet service providers in Syria, has blocked access to all blogs hosted at Blogger.com. Any blog associated with the domain name blogspot.com was not accessible by Syrian Telecom subscribers as of February 15.

The other main state-owned ISP, the Syrian Computer Society (SCS), has again blocked access to Al-Domari, a political satirical blog that was blocked by SCS on January 26, but unblocked again a few days later. The SCS did not censor any other blogspot.com addresses.

Most Syrian blogs are hosted at Blogspot.com. And as a result of this move, at least 70 Syrian blogs will not be accessible to approximately 126,000 subscribers of the Syrian Telecom ISP.

It is not clear whether Syrian Telecom had intended to censor all Blogspot addresses or blocked them in an effort to censor Al-Domari. The address www.blogger.com, which Blogspot subscribers use to post and control settings on their blogs, is still accessible on both Syrian Telecom and SCS.

It's ironic that Syrian Telcom has recently published an article introducing blogging and highlighting the importance of blogs. Following are some excerpts translated from Arabic:

Blogs can become a serious rival to conventional media, because of their ability to draw attention and because of their accessibility and interactivity. In addition, a blog does not need a huge capital nor a permission from authorities. [...]

In the Arab World, the blogging phenomenon is spreading quickly, with the number of blogs reaching thousands. In this region, where the freedom of speech is limited, blogs are of high importance because they present an alternative to censored media and an outlet of criticism for those who want to express their suppressed feelings. [...]

It's worth mentioning that the spread of blogs in Arab countries that ban private newspapers or media outlets, poses a challenge to the authorities because censorship is practically difficult, while closing down blogs can evoke negative reactions more than serving the authorities' objectives.

It's action time! I could not find the email address of the Syrian Telecom ISP. It is not listed on their website and they don't have a feedback form. (though I found one at their main website). Anyway, the Syrian Telecom ISP can be reached at phone numbers 3087 (technical support) and 3086 (customer care).

SCS can be contacted at support@scs-net.org or customer-care@scs-net.org  and telephone numbers 9955 (technical support) and 9981 (customer care).

Update @ 2/15/05 5:45 PM: Possibly because of the huge load of complaints it  is receiving, the SCS has changed the message that users get when trying to access a blocked site. The new message says:

"This website is blocked according to the regulations of the service-governing party which is Syrian Telecom."

The old version said: "This page cannot be displayed because it belongs to a blocked website. For more information, please contact Technical Support at support@scs-net.org"

Update @ 2/20/05 2:20 PM: Syrian Telecom has unblocked Blogspot.com. Al-Domari remains blocked.
 

Comments

[Gottfried Stutz]

Yes, let's write to them, firmly and politely.

The problem with the SCS is that it will simply say that it is the "security department" which is in charge. Well, I'll ask for the number or e-mail of the "security department" in question. Let's all keep each other posted. Ayman, do you mind if we do this in the comments of your blog? Otherwise, I'll find an alternative solution for keeping track of all our eschanges with the ISP and the SCS.

[Bridge the Gap in Blogspace]

If anything, this shows that for some reason the Syrian government doesn't think it is a smart idea to let the people inside know too much of what is going on at the outside.

Which not only makes the Syrian people less an enemy and more a victim of their governemnt, just like the people in Russia and Poland not 20 years ago.

It may also prove the necesity and the validity of the bridgethegap initiative:
-not only does it tie together links to many blogs on many blogservices worldwide. It also may help to spread the information even faster. A world wide web of linked and communicating blogs and sites, all providing parts and snippets that will leak through. Too small to be noticed by autorities and too widespread to be blocked without stopping all data-traffic to and from the country.

[Amr]

thanks Ayman for your fast reaction, I can not imagine Syria without blogs and blogging.
each time the "forbidden" appears I loose my nerves.
Anyway, "action's time!" as Ayman said.

[Ayman]

Not at all, Gottfried. Feel free to post anything here to keep us updated.

[Soraya]

well that’s just great finally when i got my blog started!!!!
But weirdly is that I still can accesses my blog and my blogger dashboard
I think the censor includes certain blogs only

thanks for keeping us updated

[Chet]

Amr I just logged on to your blog without any problems. I am in the U.S.

[amr faham]

Amr Tulaimat, your blog is blocked on 190 (Syrian telecom).
mabruk everybody, also my dangerous blog still blocked.

[Gottfried Stutz]

Thanks Ayman.
E-mail to SCS Customer Care sent. As soon as I receive their answer, I'll post both as a comment here, and then pursue the contacts further.

[Gottfried Stutz]

OK, they are simply sending us back to Syrian Telecom. Below is my e-mail first, then the answer from SCS "Customer Care". The answer was very quick (a matter of minutes) and rather bureaucratic ("check with Syria Telecom"). Well, well, I actually understand this.

I think that we should fill in the form on Syrian Telecom's site. Ayman gave the link above. Enjoy the following (I'm covering the name of my contact, sorry but I promised confidentiality):

------- My message ---------------
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 03:39:06 -0800 (PST)
From: "Gottfried Stutz"
Subject: Re: Protest: Access to the Syrian Domari blog
To: "Customer Care"
CC: gottfried_stutz@yahoo.com
Dear ****,

I did not have the chance to thank you for your prompt and honest answer, so let me start by thanking you for having taken the time to answer. You were right, the Syrian Aldomari site was not blocked anymore.

However, I am worried again because it seems, according to recent news from many Syrians trying to access blog site, that all Blogger sites (i.e. with URL's ending with "blogspot.com") are now blocked for SCS subscribers. The message they get when they try to open such sites is:

"This website is blocked according to the regulations of the service-governing party which is Syrian Telecom."

I would be grateful if you could either give me the contact in Syrian Telecom dealing with this or the contact of the security department which you mentiond in your message below, so that I can file a complaint to them (without mentioning your name, of course.) I just find it a pity that this blockage policy is pursued in a country which, on the other hand, is doing everything it can to make the Internet available for everyone through lower fees and Internet cafés.

Kindest regards,

Gottfried Stutz
------------------
------------ Their answer ----------
From: "Customer Care"
To: "Gottfried Stutz"
Subject: Re: Protest: Access to the Syrian Domari blog
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:08:10 +0200
Dear Gottfried ,

I would like to thank you for your kind mail and to assure that the mentioned site wasn't block when I send you
the answer because I access it successfully, it seems that they blocked it recently .
In order to contact them you can call 3087 " the support department on STE " and they will guide you to know
to whom you can send the complaint .

For more information feel free to contact us again .

***
Technical Support
Tel: 9955
Fax:963-11-3739988
Email:custcare@scs-net.org
URL: www.scs-net.org
--------------

[Omar]

guys.. if you needed to post or read anything.. let me know.. I can look into building an RSS feed reader for you to keep reading what's happening out there.. can't do this very soon.. but I will if you think that this will solve a problem

[no hope]

freedom,human rights,democracy,prosperity are inconceivable under this regime.

[Ayman]

Gottfried, thanks for sharing this with us. I want to point out that blogspot.com is only blocked on Syrian Telecom. SCS only blocked Al-Domari.

We should see what Syrian Telecom people have to say about this.

[Rime]

Thanks to Ayman for keeping on top of the "reform" going on in Syria, to Gottfried for taking them up on it, and to Omar for offering to work out a solution. In not even having a clear set of criteria for blocking sites, it seems the government's incompetence extends to its censorship department!

You guys are all great for sticking together like this.

[Angry_Ookami]

I don't understand why u r surprised guys.

[Basil]

To Angry,
we are surprised becaue these are new times, yet the SCS and the 190 have not caught up with them yet.
Old rules, although still rooted deep, don't apply like they used to.
Since our rights have risen recently to above those of animals we should use the heck our of them whenever we can.

[mr hamwy]

ohh my god in this issue i found a website to access the blocked sites but now i lose it just give a time and i'll bring its address ok cuz i have the same prob

[Gottfried Stutz]

To Angry_Ookami,

Who said that we were suprised? We are not. It was to be expected. We are only angry - just like you. We would like the policy of blockage and censorship to cease, and we are trying to contribute humbly to that change.

[linux juggler]

lets say that Syria was not the first one that blocks the blogspot sites .
i still remember when the Internet city (isu) in KSA blocked it and after many complain they open it but they still blocking the pictures so that for example when i visit Cocktail4 site i just can read and try to figure out what she is talking about ...
flicker is also blocked in KSA ,the main site is not, for example i can access the direct URL flickr.com but i cant access any other things like this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/coolesding/101147004/ for example ...
so this is not related just to Syrian gov its related to most of our Arabic government
and that's my point of view ...
regards

[KurtS]

I'm sad to hear blogs have been rendered inaccessible within Syria. Open discussion is the best for everyone: so we can all come to understand that we're not enemies, but can become friends. It's so sad to hear what's happening.

[Ihsan]

Oh now that is rediculous!

Any idea whether they only meant to block Al-Domari and it's a technical error or just wanted to shut all the rest up?

[Business Phone System]

thanks for sharing this information.

[PBX Phone System]

Excellent article! PBX Phone Systems offer cost savings on internal phone calls.
http://www.1-satellite-tv-facts.com/Phone-Systems.html