ABU DHABI // Facebook and other social networking websites are enjoying overwhelming popularity in the Emirates, but some users fear internet regulators may further restrict access to “objectionable content”. A new study shows that people in the UAE are more likely to sign up for social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace than people in other parts of the world, including North America.

In the early hours of October 4, 2005, Turkey officially began accession negotiations with the EU. Over the previous four years, in order to secure a date for the opening of negotiations, successive Turkish governments had eased many of the restrictions on freedom of expression in the country. Since October 2005, however, the process has ground to a halt. Indeed, in some areas, it appears to have gone into reverse, particularly in the increasing attempts to censor the Internet.

Darryn Walker, 35, is accused of writing then posting the obscene article on a fantasy porn website. He was charged under the Obscene Publications Act which has not been updated since 1959. The Act makes it illegal to publish material that "tends to deprave and corrupt" those reading it. The outcome could affect censorship on the web and the case is one of the most significant since the trial over DH Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover.

The National Bureau of Investigation KRP has been ordered to step up its surveillance of the Internet in the wake of Tuesday's Kauhajoki school shooting. KRP Police Chief Mikko Paatero says the enhanced supervision will take place until further notice, and is intended to help police better follow up on tips.