Turkey postpones its Internet filtering plans
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Deutsch: [Türkei vertagt Pläne zur Filterung des Internets | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.16_Tuerkei_vertagt_Plaene_zur_Filterung_des_Internets?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110901]
Having been fiercely criticized since May 2011 over its Internet filtering
system (Procedures and Principles regarding Safe Internet Use) planned to be
imposed on 22 August, the Information Technologies Board (BTK) has decided
to delay the introduction of the system till 22 November 2011 and to reduce
the number of filters that are now said to cover adult content.
The government’s plan was to force Internet users to choose from among a
list of filtering packages meant to block certain unspecified websites.
Under the modified version, Turkish Internet users will no longer be obliged
to install the BTK filtering software on their computers and the number of
alternative versions of the software has been reduced from four to two
(“family” and “child”).
Also, under the new version, filtering is optional. A subscriber who does
not want to choose an Internet profile to be brought to the BTK will be able
to access the Internet without a profile or filtering system.
The BTK’s changes follow recommendations from the Internet Council, which is
a part of the Transportation and Communications Ministry. Serhat Özeren, the
head of the Internet Council stated for the Anatolia news agency that BTK
had paid attention to the opinions and proposals of civil society when
revising the regulation adding that the introduction of the regulations had
been postponed in order to give time for service providers to prepare their
infrastructure for the new system.
The criteria for the two optional Internet profiles would be determined soon
and would be periodically updated.
Turkey backtracks on controversial Internet filtering plans (5.08.2011)
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-252787-turkey-backtracks-on-controversial-internet-filtering-plans.html
In Turkey, Proposed Internet Filters Stir Protests (9.08.2011)
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/09/139239928/in-turkey-proposed-internet-filters-stir-protests
Internet agency retreats on filtering, but does not give up (10.08.2011)
http://en.rsf.org/turkey-government-agency-wants-to-install-06-05-2011,40238.html
EDRi-gram: Don’t use “crispy” on the Turkish Internet! (4.05.2011)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number9.9/turkey-blocks-138-words-internet