UAE blocks hundreds of offensive and criminal websites

Roblox was blocked in the UAE in 2018 after children were exposed to content that was not age appropriate. Bloomberg    

Hundreds of websites were blocked in the UAE last year for promoting offensive, racist, immoral, defamatory and obscene content, the country’s telecoms regulator said.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said it suspended access to 1,688 sites in 2019.

Just under a third (542 websites) included obscene content, while more than a quarter, (436 websites) were used for fraudulent purposes. A further 253 sites attempted to bypass web filters.

“Others were banned for breaching intellectual property rights, providing illegal online proxy services and other illegal activities,” the TRA said in a statement released on the Wam news agency.

After discovering a website that hosts illegal content, the TRA asks service providers like Etisalat and du to block it.

The latest number of blocked sites was slightly down on 2018, when the TRA banned 2,659 websites for similar reasons.

Websites that are banned in the UAE include Roblox, aimed at children aged between 8 and 15.

It was restricted in 2018 on the orders of the UAE Attorney General, Dr Hamad Al Shamsi.

Many parents welcomed the move, saying their children had been exposed to content that was not age appropriate while playing the game.

Last month, residents were warned that using free VPNs could leave people open to being blackmailed.

The use of VPNs in the Emirates is not in itself against the law, but using them to access certain content and websites can be.

Experts suggested free VPN services may be less secure and more susceptible to hacking, potentially increasing users’ risk.