By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – For the first time in five years, Internet users in Syria have access to the online social networks Facebook and YouTube.  This new development comes just days after thousands of Syrians came out to protest the government in a “Day of Rage.”  While some within the country were able to access these sites and even used them to encourage the recent anti-government protests, Internet users were forced to tunnel through international proxy servers in order to log-on.  Today, users were able to openly access these sites.

The Syrian government has not yet commented on this relaxation of Internet restrictions.  Although the protests last weekend were smaller than anticipated, the popular flare may have increased fears among the leadership that unrest in North African my spillover into Syria.  Discussing the uprisings in North Africa, Syrian President Bashar Assad noted last week, that he would push for political reforms guaranteeing more media freedom.  While the leadership has been tightlipped about this latest change, Mazen Darwish, head of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, said he received “semiofficial confirmation” that some Internet bans were being lifted.

Some have opined that this shift in policy is a concession to citizens who have taken to the streets to demand more freedom of speech.   Anti-government tensions have been increasing throughout the region since the protests in started in Tunisia.  While Assad’s policy reversal may be an olive branch to calm public unrest, its significance is questionable.  Many have regarded the change as inconsequential since the public could already access restricted sites via proxy servers.   Ahmad, a Facebook user, was reported posting “We are all using it anyway – so I don’t see what difference it makes.”

While Internet users can now access Facebook and YouTube, many other popular websites, including Amazon and Wikipedia, remain blocked.   It is uncertain if more website bans will be lifted in the near future or whether this represents a piecemeal concession to the public.  While some like Mazen Darwish hope that today’s change represents a “new mentality” in the government, much progress must still be made to elevate the rights of the people of Syria.

For more information please see:

Canadian Press – Syria Media Watchdog, Internet Users Say Facebook, YouTube Available for First Time in 3 Years – Feb. 8, 2011

Forward Magazine Syria – Syria Lifts Facebook Ban – Feb. 8, 2011

Guardian – Syria to Set Facebook Status to Unbanned in Gesture to People – Feb. 8, 2011

The New Web – Facebook and YouTube Unblocked in Syria Today – Feb. 8, 2011