Men playing cyber games at an internet cafe in Amman. Salah Malkawi/ The National.
Men playing cyber games at an internet cafe in Amman. Salah Malkawi/ The National.
Men playing cyber games at an internet cafe in Amman. Salah Malkawi/ The National.
Men playing cyber games at an internet cafe in Amman. Salah Malkawi/ The National.

Jordan's King Abdullah approves internet law


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

Jordan's King Abdullah has approved legislation banning virtual private networks and restricting what people can say and publish on the internet.

The overwhelmingly pro-government legislature passed the law over the past month and it went to the king for formal approval.

Nidal Mansour, head of the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists, in Amman, had hoped that the king would have turned down the legislation because it widens "freedom-depriving" powers under the disposal of the authorities.

Mr Mansour said young people in Jordan could be falling foul of the vague law without knowing when they have violated it.

"It will strain the judiciary," said Mr Mansour.

The legislative branch in Jordan is overwhelmingly pro-government and the king holds most powers in the country. He rarely turns down legislation.

On July 26, a US State Department spokesman criticised the law as undermining freedom of expression in Jordan and having the potential to scare off investors

Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh said this month that the law “does not touch or undermine the core" of freedoms mentioned in the constitution.

The new law criminalises the use of virtual private networks, or VPNs, which help internet users to bypass local restrictions and maintain anonymity online.

Those who spread “false news” that “undermines national unity” face jail terms between three months and three years. “Character assassination” through the internet has been labelled a crime, punishable by less than three months in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.

Internet users who “offend public morals” will receive at least nine months in jail.

Rights groups say Jordanian authorities have prosecuted or filed more than 2,000 cases against journalists, activists and dissidents in the past three years. TikTok and the debate application Clubhouse are blocked by Jordan, as well as Al Hudood, a Jordanian satirical publication in London that is styled after The Onion, a popular US satirical website.

Last week, Jordanian satirist Ahmad Al Zoubi was sentenced to one year in jail on charges of inciting sectarian strife, in connection with online remarks in support of truckers who went on strike in southern Jordan in December to protest fuel prices.

The truckers' strike escalated into riots in the area, which resulted in the killing of four police officers by men who the authorities described as religious extremists.

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Power: 295bhp

Torque: 353Nm

Price: Dh155,000

On sale: now 

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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The%20specs
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Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Director: Jon Watts

Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon 

Rating:*****

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

LUKA CHUPPI

Director: Laxman Utekar

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon​​​​​​​, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana

Rating: 3/5

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AWARDS
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THE BIO

Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.

Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.

She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.

Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring  the natural world.

WWE Super ShowDown results

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Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns

Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party

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Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal

The Undertaker beat Goldberg

 

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

It

Director: Andres Muschietti

Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor

Three stars

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Updated: August 14, 2023, 6:41 AM