Iran: Blogs and Websites Should Register!

I can not even imagine that Iranian bloggers or websites should register themselves in a government office. I was talking to some of my friends in Tehran and felt how they feel frustrated by the new law which forces to consider new set of limitations and in result, they will have less space than whatever they have had up to now… Here is my piece on this topic at Inter Press Service (IPS). You can find more information about it there:

"In a bid to clamp down even harder on information disseminated through the Internet, Iran's hardliner government has demanded the registration of all websites and weblogs sourced in the country by Mar. 1, drawing objections from many Iranian bloggers who say the move clearly violates free speech.

A committee of government officials, including members of the intelligence, judiciary, telecommunications, and culture and Islamic guidance ministries, will be in charge of approving the content of websites. The committee is commissioned with blocking or filtring websites or weblogs that they deem illegal. Over the ast few years, the government has banned and filtred thousands of websites and weblog without explanation. However, for the first time, the new law is specific about what kinds of content are not allowed. "