Contrabandwidth

Posted by timothy on Sunday March 20, 2005 @06:02AM from the most-places-bad dept.

tcd004 writes "Kate Palmer writes in Foreign Policy Magazine that an international black market for Internet access has arisen in many authoritarian countries who keep their populations offline. Savvy black marketers in cybercafes, universities, private homes, and elsewhere are exploiting technological loopholes to circumvent government filters and charge fees for access. According to OpenNet Initiative, a nonprofit that tracks banned sites, visiting a single website in Saudi Arabia can cost anywhere from $26 to $67. And as censorship spreads, the prices are only going up." It's just a few paragraphs, but thought provoking.

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Ernie goes online by Anonymous Coward · 2005-03-20 07:48 · Score: 0, Redundant

The Salesman: Hey, bud.

Ernie: Who me?

The Salesman: SHHHHHH!

Ernie: (whispering) Who me?

The Salesman: Riiiiiiiight!

How would you like to buy a baud?

Ernie: Ah!

The Salesman: It'll cost you just a nickel

Ernie: A nickel?

The Salesman: SHHHHHH!

Ernie: (whispering) A nickel?

The Salesman: Riiiiiiiight!