Media watchdog criticises Cuba for controlling Web

Media watchdog criticises Cuba for controlling Web
Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:38pm ET27

PARIS (Reuters) - A press freedom watchdog accused Cuba on Thursday of
trying to prevent people from reading independent media, saying less
than 2 percent of Cubans connect to the Web at closely monitored
Internet access points.

"In a country where the media are under the government's thumb,
preventing independent reports and information from circulating online
has naturally become a priority," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said
in a report on Cuba.

Cuba, like China, controls access to the Internet. Direct access to the
World Wide Web is generally only available to government-approved
individuals, though passwords can be purchased on the black market.

"With less than 2 percent of the population online, Cuba is one of the
world's most backward countries as regards Internet usage," RSF said.

"This is quite surprising in a country that boasts one of the highest
levels of education in the world," it added.

Internet access points such as the 'Correos de Cuba' Internet cafes were
closely monitored, RSF said, and messages seemed to be scanned for
suspect keywords, such as those linked to dissidents, which trigger the
shutdown of programmes.

Because of the cost, most Cubans opt for the cheaper 'national'
connection, which includes government-operated email but not full
Internet access, which costs 4 euros ($5.03) an hour, about a third of
the average monthly wage, it said.

The Cuban government says Internet access is restricted due to limited
bandwidth available. Havana blames U.S. economic sanctions that bar Cuba
from hooking up to submarine fiber optic cables and force the country to
use costly satellite communications for Internet traffic.

"This may indeed explain the slowness of the Cuban Internet and the
endless lines outside Internet cafes. But in no way does it justify the
system of control and surveillance that has been put in place by the
authorities," RSF said.

A Cuban dissident, Guillermo Farinas, went on a seven-month hunger
strike this year to demand unfettered Internet access, but stopped after
fellow dissidents persuaded him to give up.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

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