FAIRFAX,
CA – DECEMBER 18: The Instagram logo is displayed on an Apple iPhone on
December 18, 2012 in Fairfax, California. Users of the popular
photo-sharing app Instagram are angered over language in Instagram’s new
terms of service that states that a business may use any of the users
photographs in advertising without compensation to the user. The policy
is set to go into effect on January 16, 2013.
The Ethiopian government has blocked
social media sites across the country so as to enable students prepare
adequately for the nation’s University entrance exam.
The government said the ban was to
prevent students being distracted from studying during the exam period
and to prevent the spread of false rumours, BBC reports.
“They will be unavailable for several
days while university entrance exams are taken, a said. It’s a
temporary measure until Wednesday. Social media have proven to be a
distraction for students,” spokesman for the Ministry of Education, Getachew Reda said.
The blocked sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Viber.
This is the first time social media
sites have been publicly blocked nationwide. Although social media sites
have previously gone down for a couple of hours in time past with the
government denying involvement.
The United Nations in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
says that: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The Council went on to
declare that internet service interruptions are Human Rights Violations.
Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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