10 Countries With Ridiculous Internet Laws

Thanks to the First Amendment, Americans are allowed to voice their opinions, no matter how ridiculous they may be, and consume whatever content they find interesting. The same can’t be said for other countries. Some nations place such tight restrictions on what people can do on the Internet that even looking at a certain type of website can have you doing doing a bid. It's gotten to the point now, where American companies operating in foreign countries are working around the clock to stick to their beliefs while playing by that nation's rules.

Google, for example, last month announced a new feature that would alert Chinese users when they're about to search for something that may get blocked by the government. This was just the latest move in a drawn out clash between the search giant and China. After tense battle over censorship, Google decided to move its servers to Hong Kong in 2010. But China's not the only country with strict web laws. Keep reading to see which other nations attempt to keep the Net under lock and key.

Law of the Land: Here in the States we enjoy leaving absurd comments under unknown aliases, but in South Korea that’s a no-no. Under the country’s Real-Name System, users must provide real names when posting entries and comments. Anonymous comments are deleted. Google thought the law was silly and refused to enforce it on the Korean version of YouTube, instead only turning off the upload and comment features on the site. The law seems minor, but the repercussions aren’t.

Penalties: Anyone caught leaving anonymous comments on a blog with more than 100,000 readers will see a five-year prison term. If that’s not enough, you can receive a maximum of three years for libel, even if you can prove a statement is true.

Law of the Land: Cuba bans all private Internet service, instead the government controls several access points. Cuba also monitors all online activity via IP blocking, keyword filters, and collecting of individual browsing history. Why are things this way? According to Castro and Co., it's due to high costs and the American embargo.

Penalties: Anyone caught using a private connection can expect to serve five years in prison. Anyone caught posting counter-revolutionary articles can look forward to 20 years in the bing.

Law of the Land: In 2006, the Government of India created the Computer Emergency Team to monitor all incoming and outgoing Internet traffic in the country. In addition, 2008’s Information Technology Act grants the government more power to manipulate and oversee all Internet activity, placing heavy restrictions on pornography.

Penalties: If you try to sneak a peek at some porn, you're looking at five-year prison sentence. A second conviction extends the sentence to seven years and a fine of 10 lakh rupees (roughly $22,000). Also, anyone caught sending offensive or annoying emails (spam, chain letters, etc.) can spend two years in the slammer. We don't so much mind that last one.

Law of the Land: One of the largest countries in Southeast Asia, Burma regulates Internet speed, keeping it super-slow, to keep tabs on user activity. Under the Electronic Act, the country bans the importation and use of any modem without official consent from the Burmese government. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications also bans a large number of sites that include pornography, political opposition, human rights, and any organizations promoting democracy. Guess that means they can't read Complex.com?

Penalty: Peep any of the prohibited sites and you'll get hit with a minimum—yes MINIMUM—of 15 years in prison. So, yeah, no Spankwire while you're in Burma.

Laws of the Land: The irony here is that Morocco has no official governing laws for Internet activity. The government basically blocks and unblocks sites at will. Blogging sites like WordPress and Tumblr, political sites promoting separatism, Google Earth, and of course YouTube are all victims. In addition, any bad talk of the monarchy, royal family, the Polisario, and Islam can really mess up your day.

Penalty: Journalist Mohammed Raji received two years in prison and a fine for criticizing the Moroccan king, while journalist/blogger Hassan Berhun caught six months for publishing a petition denouncing corruption and demanding something be done about the shady prison escape of a top drug trafficker. So much for doing what’s right.

Laws of the Land: With super-strict speech and religion laws already in place, is it shocking that only 1% of the Afghan population has access to the Internet? Of course not. Besides blocking all dating and social-networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, GMail, Match.com, et al.), there are bans against gambling, sex, and alcohol-related content, websites promoting women’s rights, and "immoral" content that goes against Afghan traditions.

Penalty: In January 2008, Journalism student Parwez Kambakhsh was imprisoned and given the death sentence for downloading and distributing a document defending women’s rights.

Laws of the Land: With 60 Internet regulations and a rumored 30,000-strong virtual police force, China may hold the crown for the country with the strictest Internet laws. Its "Great Firewall" blocks most outlets for free expression (Facebook, Google), as well as banning content presenting dissenting opinions. Microsoft’s Chinese blog service even blocks the word "democracy" from appearing on blog titles. Internet cafes also monitor every keystroke, and records all chats, online gaming, and email activity.

Penalties: Offenders and activists can expect to be sentenced to jail, sometimes without a trial, and heavily fined. Publishing offensive content leads to a fine of up to $1800. Rumors still circulate that torture and forced labor occur as well.

Law of the Land: Since 2008, Iran has blocked over five million websites deemed immoral, including Facebook and Youtube. Before gaining access to any Internet service provider, the government requires each subscriber to promise, in writing, that they won’t access “non-Islamic” sites. Households are required to have a maximum download speed of 128 kbit/s, with offices and commercial firms allowed to reach a max of 2Mbit/s.

Penalties: Punishments can range from fines to up to 15 years in prison. Some case can result in the death penalty. The most high-profile case involved Hossein Derakhshan (a.k.a. Hoder), who was seen as the father of Persian blogging. In 2008, Hoder was arrested without cause, detained for nearly two years, and sentenced to nine and a half years in Iran's Evin prison.