Cuba tightens its
control over internet
By Anita Snow, Associated
Press Writer. Fri Jan 9. Yahoo! News.
HAVANA - Cuba tightened its controls over
the Internet on Friday, prohibiting access
over the low-cost government phone service
most ordinary citizens have at home.
The move could affect hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of Cubans who illegally access
the Internet from their homes, using computers
and Internet accounts they have borrowed
or purchased on the black market.
Cuba's communist government already heavily
controls access to the Internet. Cubans
must have government permission to use the
Web legally and most don't, although many
can access international e-mail and a more
limited government-controlled intranet at
government jobs and schools.
Now Cubans will need additional approval
to access via the nation's regular phone
service. Since few Cubans are authorized
to use the Internet from home - only some
doctors and key government officials - the
new law amounts to a crackdown on illegal
users.
The law states that the move is necessary
to "regulate dial-up access to Internet
navigation service, adopting measures that
help protect against the taking of passwords,
malicious acts, and the fraudulent and unauthorized
use of this service."
As for foreign firms and individuals, most
are authorized to use the Internet in Cuba,
usually via a more expensive telephone service
charged in American dollars and already
off limits to most Cubans.
E-net, the Internet service of the Cuban
telephone company Etecsa, told customers
in a letter Friday the new law would take
effect late Saturday. It affects all other
Internet service providers in Cuba as well.
E-net is the largest of a handful of Internet
providers in Cuba - all of them heavily
monitored and controlled by the government.
E-net customers who do not have the dollar
phone service can keep accessing the Internet
with the ordinary phone service with special
cards sold at Etecsa offices, the letter
says.
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