14 DAY TRIAL // A new law, passed on May 24, bans Ethiopians from using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) software such as Skype, Google Talk and many others. Those who break the new legislation may be sentenced to as much as 15 years in prison, Al Jazeera informs.
According to local reports, the law came after the only telecoms company in the country, Ethio-Telecom, felt that its profits were threatened by the use of such software.
Furthermore, Ethiopian authorities argued that such applications could pose a risk to national security.
As a result, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has reserved the right to license private organizations that produce, distribute, or import such technology.
Tech Central reveals that audio and video communications done via social media networks are also banned by the law.
This news is the cherry on the cake that’s called Internet filtering, as not only has the Ethiopian government banned a number of important website and anonymity networks, but also Ethio-Telecom has already begun monitoring all traffic.