Tunisian government reveals testing filtering technology for Western Countries

This past week, at the third annual Arab Bloggers Meeting, it was revealed that Western companies used Tunisia as a testing ground for filtering technologies.  Moez Chakchouk, the Chairman and CEO of the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI), revealed that prior to the recent political upheaval, the agency tested filtering technology for Western companies in exchange for significant discounts on the technology.

Chakchouk claims that ATI has extricated itself from such relationships, and the agency no longer censors content.  According to Chakchouk, not only do they have no desire to censor, but without the discounts they can no longer afford to do so.

The ATI Chairman’s revelation has potential implications for Western companies who have asserted ignorance as to their customers’ uses of these technologies. As Jillian C. York highlights in her liveblog from the event, “Moez also, as Nasser Weddady put it, ‘[blew] a huge hole in tech companies’ claim that their equipment sale to repressive regimes [are] in good faith.’”  It will be interesting to see if these companies change their justifications (or even their behaviors) in light of these comments.

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