Video nasty

The Iranian government has blocked the country’s internet users from accessing the popular video sharing website YouTube. Users who do try to access the site are greeted by the message: ‘On the basis of the Islamic Republic of Iran laws, access to this Web site is not authorized’, according to a report from Associated Press. The same message appears on a number of political and pornographic sites. It is thought YouTube has been blocked because it contains political messages from opponents of the Iranian government, as well as local pop music videos, both of which are frowned upon by authorities. The international media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders lists Iran among the worst culprits for internet censorship; other countries named are: Belarus, China, Cuba, Egypt, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.