Rabat (Morocco) - Moroccon Internet users have been banned from accessing YouTube for over a week, and now some are beginning to doubt the government's response that the problem is due to a "technical glitch".

The video sharing site has been blocked from subscribers of Morocco's Maroc Telecom, a state-run company that provides the majority of Internet access, since last Friday.  A government spokesperson told the Associated Press it was unable to comment, and Maroc Telecom would not go further than to say it was a glitch.

However, skeptics are wondering how a glitch would prevent access to only one site, and why it hasn't been fixed in four days.  "They've clearly blocked YouTube," said local student Abdelhakin Albarkani.  It "allowed us to see things the state newspapers and television won't show."

Videos criticizing the country's treatment of Western Sahara, a Moroccon-owned territory, went up on the site shortly before it became unavailable to Maroc Telecom subscribers.

Morocco is in the same category as Thailand, with strict laws that prohibit overt criticism about the government and its ruler.  Thailand received international attention when it banned YouTube because of a video that insulted the country's king.

Sad

May 30, 2007 08:15     

Sucks that this kind of stuff still goes on in the world.
Ry report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Very sad indeed

May 30, 2007 09:22     

But worst of all is the fact that we are supporting that regime.
rot report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Use proxy

May 30, 2007 10:12     

Use some proxy server, resist the censorship.
martel80 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Probably self-censorship is the worst. Thinking obv...

May 30, 2007 10:33     

Probably self-censorship is the worst. Thinking obviously about US politics here.
Pete Dixon report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Sad?

May 30, 2007 14:21     

Please, post other shortcomings of the Moroccan 'regime'. I would like to know why it is so bad that we support them. Not that this has any relevance, but did you know that Morocco was the first country to recognize the US as a country. http://www.cies.org/country/morocco.htm
Ataraxis report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0