[LINK] internet filters - in Kazakhstan

[Kim Holburn]

I guess opera could well become a hit here if the internet filter  
plans come to fruition.  China, Iran, Kazakhstan; Australia will be  
joining illustrious company with its internet filter.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1235507/Norwegian-browser-a-Kazakh-hit

> Norwegian browser a Kazakh hit

> A browser that bypasses censors has become the most popular way to  
> access the Internet in Kazakhstan, a Web statistics firm said.

> The Norwegian developed Opera browser made by Opera Software has  
> increased its market share sharply in the ex-Soviet state since it  
> began to allow downloads of compressed web pages via a server  
> outside the country -- a feature designed to speed browsing.
>
> The Opera browser is now the most popular in the country with a  
> market share of 32 percent, beating out rival products from Google,  
> Microsoft and Apple, according to statistics for March from Web  
> analytics firm StatCounter.
>
> The browser has increased its popularity by 60 percent in the past  
> year alone, Opera Software said.
>
> Kazakhstan introduced a law last year allowing local courts to block  
> access to Web sites whose content has been deemed "illegal," a step  
> that human rights groups say amounts to censorship.
>
> Some of the most popular blogging websites such as Livejournal.com  
> and Google-run Blogger.com are now inaccessible to most of  
> Kazakhstan's 3.2 million Internet users.
>
> Both Livejournal.com and Blogger.com host blogs run by opponents of  
> Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's leader for 20 years who wields  
> sweeping powers and is never criticized by domestic mainstream media.
>
> However, the new edition of Opera introduced last year, Opera 10,  
> allows users to view otherwise inaccessible Web pages using its  
> Opera Turbo feature designed to speed up browsing over slow  
> connections.
>
> Kazakhstan ranked among the world's top 10 countries by the number  
> of Opera Turbo users in January, according to a report by Opera  
> Software.
>
> The Norwegian software developer, however, does not advertise the  
> "anti-censorship" feature of its product or see it as its key to  
> success in Kazakhstan.
>


-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
T: +61 2 61402408  M: +61 404072753
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request