Internet freedoms are at risk in Jordan under a new proposed cybercrime law. Among other things, the bill plans to criminalize the use of VPN services (in some scenarios) while giving authorities sweeping new powers to censor content online, throttle websites, and block social media.
The 41-article bill comes as a way to "tackle disinformation, hate speech and online defamation," said the government. It will replace the current legislation's 15 provisions enforced since 2015. The Parliamentary Legal Committee approved the draft with no substantial changes on July 25—digital rights watchdog Jordan Open Source Association (JOSA) reported.
