Censorship in Bhutan - Censorship On The Internet

Censorship On The Internet

According to the International Telecommunication Union, there were approximately 30,000 Internet users (0.4 percent of the population) through 2010. Individuals and groups generally were permitted to engage in peaceful expression of views via the Internet, although there were some reports of government restrictions through 2010, when the government continued to monitor material on the Internet and blocked what it deemed pornographic. The Bhutanese government stated in 2011 that it did not block access, restrict content, or censor Web sites.

The official forums of Kuensel online allow open criticism of the government though the forums are moderated, and anyone can post from an Internet café. The forums of news portals such as the U.S.-based The Bhutan Times (unrelated to the Bhutan Times newspaper) are much less moderated. The website was temporarily blocked by BICMA, Bhutan's media regulatory body, in 2007. Government officials said forum discussions on bhutantimes.com were too critical of Minister Sangey Nidup, maternal uncle of the king. In August 2007, bhutantimes.com reported that the government lifted its block on service within the country.

BICMA's censorship pattern appears to reflect individual sensitivities of people who may have been discussed online.