To start, many things are censored in the UAE, both IRL and via Internet. The Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) ultimately decides what is blocked online but some people report that there are differences between what is blocked on Etisalat versus Du, the two leading telecom providers in Dubai.
Anything that "contradicts the ethics and morals of the UAE" is blocked. Some examples of Internet censorship in Dubai include:
- content expressing hatred towards religions (especially Islam but includes other religions as well)
- dating websites (though matrimony are OK)
- gambling, pornography (including online sites such as Maxim although the print versions are available with some nudity blacked out)
Back into the real world, it's frowned upon to speak poorly of high ranking officials, e.g. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Try saying that 5 times fast. He is the Prime Minister & VP of the UAE, and constitutional monarch of Dubai. Note: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is composed of 7 emirates. Think of it this way: UAE = USA, emirate = state, & Dubai = California.
Censorship is weird, to say the least. On one hand, everyone seems to speak more politely and pleasantly about others while OTOH no one really appears to express any negative opinions. It's strange thinking about this given my diverse background (liberal feminist psych grad from LA).
As a blogger, I inherently censor myself when writing these posts. Beyond the usual human filter of what is/not appropriate to discuss, I am constantly cautious not to reveal too much, both in terms of my exact physical location & how I feel sometimes about Dubai for fear that I may face some unidentifiable repercussion.
In America, we are accustomed to freedom of speech. It truly is a beautiful thing and I defend it completely. Freedom of speech is a constitutional value that many Americans use to express themselves, join groups, & find both like- and unlike-minded individuals. Unfortunately some people choose to abuse that right by creating, sharing, or downloading unsavory material (I'm looking at you, Reddit). Now that I'm in Dubai though I feel conflicted because the lack of freedom of speech feels very 1984-ish but these restrictions are clearly in place for a seemingly (mostly) well-intentioned reason.
A couple additional resources on censorship in the UAE (the irony is not lost on me):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates#Internet_censorship
http://www.dubaifaqs.com/censorship-uae-internet.php
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