Syria

Overview

Since Syria adopted the Internet in 2000, rates of Internet and social media use have risen steadily. Current figures peg the Internet penetration rate at between 22 and 23 percent of Syria’s 22.5 million citizens. Telecommunications in Syria, however, remain underdeveloped compared to much of the world, including many other Middle Eastern countries. In 2011, anti-government protests filled the streets and spread online, prompting the government to further tighten already strict controls. Since then, the country has been embroiled in a bloody civil war, during which both sides have attempted to use the Internet to further their own ends. For the government of President Bashar al-Assad, this has meant utilizing its control over ICT infrastructure to try to quell dissidents and to undermine political opposition movements. Internet users in the country are subject to significant political censorship, high rates of blogger and online activist arrest, and other violations of users’ rights.

Access

In 2011, the Internet penetration rate in Syria was 22.5 percent. Shelling and bombing from armed conflict that began that year, however, has caused extensive damage to communications infrastructure in some areas, making access difficult. The state maintains a monopoly on fixed-line services and is largely able to control access to the Internet through the Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (STE), a state-owned entity that maintains all telecommunications infrastructure and is also the main Internet Service provider (ISP). The government has tried to use this control to its advantage in the ongoing conflict. In July 2012 and again in November 2012, the government effectively disconnected the entire country from the Internet. Announcements on state-run television during these periods stated that the shutdown was an intentional display of state control designed to showcase its network warfare skills and terrorize citizens and opposition forces.

Control

Internet in Syria is highly monitored, and connectivity is manipulated for political ends by the al-Assad government. The government blocks websites deemed potentially subversive and gathers analytics and information on users’ activity and correspondence using deep packet inspection technology (DPI). In a 2013 report on Internet surveillance, Reporters Without Borders called Syria a “spy” state and named it among five “enemies of the Internet.” As early as 2008-2009, the OpenNet Initiative conducted tests revealing the al-Assad regime’s strict filtering of websites related to opposition groups and human rights activists. This has included “pervasive” filtering of news sources, social networks like Facebook, and mobile operators and applications. The government also appears to back a group of online hackers known as the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) that has digitally attacked websites owned by the opposition and by foreign governments and other entities deemed to be hostile to the al-Assad regime. The SEA maintains in official statements and on its website that it is not affiliated with any government party, but it has received public praise from al-Assad.

Activity

Despite increased government regulation and censorship of the Internet, social media, mobile phones, and video-sharing websites have proven to be some of the most effective ways for Syrians to communicate with each other and with the outside world since the beginning of the current conflict in 2011. Though the situation is not safe for journalists on the ground or online, technologically resourceful Syrians have found ways to get around government controls in order to connect with one another online and to get information out of the country. The Internet has also been a key tool for opposition forces who have used social networking sites to communicate and organize.