Uzbekistan Tightens Internet Cafe Scrutiny: Reports

MOSCOW – Uzbekistan has brought in new regulations to increase surveillance of Internet cafes in the latest tightening of the country’s strict rules governing access to the web, local media reported.

Internet cafes will now be legally obliged to install video cameras and keep log files of visitors for three months in a bid to prevent any “negative” impact from public access points, the reports said.

Uzbekistan’s communications regulator also banned Internet cafes from being located in the basements of buildings, or any other rooms below the ground.

The move further solidifies the government’s control over the media in a country that is often criticized for tightly controlling society and tolerating no dissent.

“In addition to existing responsibilities, Internet providers have to provide security of visitors using CCTV cameras, as well as to organize the account of used web Internet resources (log-files) and save them for 3 months,” the norma.uz website said.

New internet regulations regulation came into force from March 31, norma.uz said.

Uzbekistan has been run by President Islam Karimov, 76, since the fall of the Soviet Union.