Date: 2005
Type: Working Paper
Internet, Telecom Sector Liberalization and Civil Liberties in the Middle East and North Africa Region
Working Paper, EUI RSCAS, 2005/32, Mediterranean Programme Series
GIANFRANCHI, Rachele, KERAMANE, Rym, Internet, Telecom Sector Liberalization and Civil Liberties in the Middle East and North Africa Region, EUI RSCAS, 2005/32, Mediterranean Programme Series - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/13333
Retrieved from Cadmus, EUI Research Repository
Middle Eastern and North African countries started liberalizing the Internet in the mid 1990’s as a
result of the political willingness to develop an economy based on knowledge. The paper suggests that
liberalization is playing an important role in changing the level of civil liberties enjoyed by citizens by
increasing the quality and quantity of information accessed. In the Middle East it identifies issues such
as the abuses of dominance by the incumbent operator in the access market and content control
policies to have constrained the Internet’s impact on civil liberties.
The paper verifies empirically the relation between Internet diffusion and civil liberties in a sample
of 44 countries belonging to three region: South-Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East
North Africa. It identifies monopolistic behaviours by state-owned operators and content control
policies to mitigate the Internet’s impact on civil liberties.
In the Middle East North Africa, telecom sector liberalization has increased significantly since
2003, improving the quantitative and qualitative usage of the Internet. In parallel, the region shows
growing interest for providing online administrative and business services. These changes are
positively influencing the diffusion and protection of civil liberties.
Cadmus permanent link: https://hdl.handle.net/1814/13333
ISSN: 1028-3625
Series/Number: EUI RSCAS; 2005/32; Mediterranean Programme Series
Sponsorship and Funder information:
Product of workshop No. 10 at the 6th MRM 2005