"Syria was once described as “one of the most dangerous places to use the internet in the world.” Under the rule of Bashar al-Assad, every online step carried risk: deep-packet inspection to facilitate surveillance and “analyze and control the activities of Syrian Internet users,” blocked websites to control the flow of information, and detention of activists, journalists, and even ordinary citizens for their online speech and activities.
With the regime’s fall in late 2024, Syrians see an opportunity for a free, safe, and open web: a virtual space for civil society, entrepreneurs, students, and families long torn apart by war. Yet there are significant challenges ahead. Half of Syria’s infrastructure is “destroyed or rendered dysfunctional,” including its communication networks. This destruction is compounded by decades-long stifling sanctions that not only choke Syrians and hinder humanitarian assistance, but also bar reconstruction and economic recovery, including the export of telecom and dual-use equipment.
Last week, the new U.S. administration suddenly announced its intention to lift its sanctions on Syria, and earlier this week, the EU followed suit, announcing that it would remove all economic sanctions. These welcome developments are critical first steps toward letting Syrians reclaim their digital future. Connectivity underpins humanitarian assistance, open and connected spaces, economy, governance, and people’s ability to enjoy their human, social, and economic rights.
(...)
However, rebuilding Syria’s internet requires not only hardware restoration and sanctions relief, but also policy overhaul. In this blog post, we outline the legacy of Syria’s digital repression and highlight some of the technical and legal challenges the transitional government must overcome to cut ties with the past, and deliver a free and open internet for all Syrians."
https://www.accessnow.org/syria-sanctions-digital-future/
#Syria #Surveillance #DigitalRights #DigitalRepression #Censorship
