The proliferation of the Internet is forcing governments around the world to pay attention. And no other governments pay as much attention to freedom of expression (or lack of) as much as Saudi Arabia. It first started as not allowing at all the Internet in Saudi Arabia. When scholars and intellectuals protested the shortsightedness of the government, a new policy was set to give access to the internet to the privileged few with a caveat: Sites such as CACSA's cannot be seen from Saudi Arabia.

Having given a minimum access to the Internet through a government installed and operated hub, the next step was to install a system by which the government can monitor every keyboard accessing the Internet. A British company called JBB Consultancy Systems has already installed a monitoring and policing system in Saudi Arabia that not only filters objectionable sites such as CACSA's but also the system can do the following: "The "Net Map" system traces user patterns by identifying how often certain sites on the World Wide Web are visited and by spotting information movement. Through the use of a "collection" device attached to the main telephone line and an alarm signal, the authorities can be alerted each time "forbidden" information is called up. An alarm will go off every time key words that are fed into the system are called up by subscribers and the address of both the sender and the receiver will be recorded for the use of the cyber police."

This is a system that only communist Russia would install. Saudi Arabia is entering into the homes of people to know exactly what they are accessing on the Internet and building a pattern with which they can continue total control over people's lives. Imagine for a moment that you are being watched when sitting behind the computer at home or work. What are the chances that you will pull the US Declaration of Independence? or the history of Christianity? or even the history of Islam seen through the eyes of a Shia'a? Any research you do can be used against you in the future by the police state of Saudi Arabia. Any view of any document on the Internet can be risky business. The chances are that you would save yourself and family the trouble of this risk by simply not connecting to the Internet or not having a computer.

So while the world moves forward, our government in Saudi Arabia is doing its best to keep the public in the dark ages. Trying to monitor like a police state reminiscent of the old Soviet Union is their answer to the proliferation of the information age. How enterprising and innovative al-Saud can be !!! Is this by accident or by design?