DUBAI: Emirates Integrated Telecommunications (Du) is developing more specialised software that will restrict access to groups on Facebook deemed to go against the social, moral, cultural and religious values of the United Arab Emirates, said the company chief executive yesterday.
“There is ongoing work; we are always developing our tools in order for us to be more precise in what we are asked to do,” Du CEO Osman Sultan told Zawya Dow Jones in an interview.
The Dubai-listed company, which broke the monopoly of government-banked telco Emirates Telecommunica-tion Company, or Etisalat, when it launched operations in February 2007, bars its staff from accessing the popular social-networking site during work hours as it could limit productivity.
“I don’t think use of Facebook is of any work-related purpose and it’s a strict productivity issue,” he said.
The statement comes after the company said Facebook access would not be restricted after measures, under the direction of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), were taken to block sites linked to pornography, alcohol, terrorism and promotion of hatred.
Sultan said any further blocks to Facebook will be implemented after consultation with the TRA once the new TRA Internet Access Management Guideline is introduced later this year which will give further details of what should and should not be banned.
Du’s competitor Etisalat already restricts access on certain Facebook groups and networks, including those used for dating, said TRA spokesman Rasheed Joumblatt.
He added the TRA guideline, which is being developed at present in consultation with both government-backed companies, Etisalat and Du, will lead to the blocking of offensive groups and networks on Facebook.
“Facebook will not be completely blocked but groups and networks which are against the policy will be blocked - this will definitely happen so people don’t abuse it,” Joumblatt said.
“We have an obligation to follow-up the laws of the land.” Groups likely to be affected include, ‘Phone Sex For Girls In UAE’ which has 159 members, ‘Alcohol Appreciation Club’ which includes 3,918 members.
It is not known if the UAE network ‘I hate Etisalat’, which has 25 members, or ‘Du have stopped me looking at naughty websites!!!’, which has 12 members, will be on the list. – Zawya Dow Jones
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