The government of

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...

does not systematically filter or block Internet content. However, the government has blocked access to news sites and social media in isolated incidents in efforts to quell protests. Internet access is limited by high cost and lack of infrastructure. In July 2013, the government reinstated a 16.5% VAT tax on Internet services. Consequently, mobile phone Internet providers raised tariffs by 16-25 percent, and many internet cafes increased their rates from MWK 5 per minute to between MWK 15-20 per minute. There have been no reports of content removal and service providers are not held liable for content transmitted through their networks. However, online journalists are periodically detained and prosecuted for articles posted on news websites. In November 2013, for example, Justice Mponda, a correspondent for the online publication Malawi Voice, was arrested for allegedly “intimidating the royal family” due to an investigative story he had written. Malawi law prohibits the publication or transmission of anything "that could be useful to the enemy", as well as religiously offensive and obscene material. Malawi participates in regional efforts to combat

cybercrime A cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer or a computer network.Moore, R. (2005) "Cyber crime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime," Cleveland, Mississippi: Anderson Publishing. The computer may have been used in committing th ...

: the East African Community (consisting of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

, and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

) and the South African Development Community (consisting of Malawi,

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

, and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

) have both enacted plans to standardize cybercrime laws throughout their regions."ONI Regional Overview: Sub-Saharan Africa"
OpenNet Initiative, September 2009 There is a Malawi Censorship Board, but its primary function is the review of books. According to

International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...

statistics for 2009, approximately 4.7 percent of the country's inhabitants used the Internet. In August 2009 the Malawi Internet Service Providers' Association (MISPA) listed 35 licensed ISPs (21 OK or operational, 14 not operational). The Malawi Internet Exchange (MIX) became operational in December 2008."Malawi Internet Exchange (MIX)"
Malawi Internet Service Providers' Association (MISPA), accessed 31 May 2011

References

{{Internet censorship

Censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

Censorship in Malawi