Global Voices Advox » Venezuela: The bill to regulate internet has been approved

On Monday, December 20th, the Venezuelan Parliament passed the bill ^[1] that gives the Executive the power to regulate all content accessible in Internet within Venezuela. ^[2] Through an administrative organ, CONATEL, all venezuelan-based ISPs will have the responsibility to block all content that collides with article 28 and 29:

Inciten y promuevan el odio y la intolerancia por razones religiosas, políticas, por diferencia de género, por racismo o xenofobia.

Inciten o promuevan y/o hagan apología al delito.

Constituyan propaganda de Guerra.

Fomenten zozobra en la ciudadanía o alteren el orden público.

Desconozcan a las autoridades legítimamente constituidas.

Induzcan al homicidio.

Inciten o promuevan el incumplimiento del ordenamiento jurídico vigente.

Promuevan, hagan apología o inciten a alteraciones del orden público

Utilicen el anonimato.

Desconozcan las autoridades legítimamente constituidas.

Encourages and promotes hatred and intolerance for religious, political, and gender difference, by racism or xenophobia.
Incites or promote and/or justify the crime.
Constitutes war propaganda.
Fosters unrest among the citizenship or disturb public order.
Refuses to recognize the government's authority.
Induces to murder.
Incites or promotes the violation of existing law.
Promote, justify or incite public disturbances
Use anonimity.
Disregards the legitimate authority

According to congress members, the law will regulate all content, including text, images, sound and video, that might collide with the above mentioned provisions. Through an administrative procedure, those ISPs that are considered to break the law will be sanctioned with high fines.

This very morning, the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, stated through his twitter account ^[3] that he just had enacted the law. The law will take effect the day following its publication in the Official Gazette.