Tunisia lays ‘Ammar 404’ to rest

Tunisia’s ICT Minister Mongi Marzoug has announced that the government is no longer involved in any internet censorship, reports Tunisia Live. Marzoug said that the system of censorship implemented under the ousted President Ben Ali, referred to locally by its nickname Ammar 404, was ended during the revolution, calling it an ‘old practice that we won’t follow again.’ To that end, Tunisia has joined the ‘Freedom Online Coalition’, an international coalition dedicated to freedom of expression on the internet. The Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI) has faced an uphill struggle in guaranteeing uncensored internet access as various lobbyists and government bodies have sought to block content that is offensive or defamatory. Having been an ‘instrument for political control’ under Ben Ali, the ATI has sought to champion net neutrality in the North African nation.