Local news website allegedly being blocked in Algeria

On October 12, 2017, it was published that access to the local French-language news website Tous sur l’Algérie (TSA) had been blocked in Algeria by the state-owned telecom companies as of October 5, 2017. The Internet companies did not provide any official explanation for blocking the site.

In an interview for Radio Chaîne 3, Algerian Communication Minister Djamel Kaouane denied any involvement by his ministry in any blocking. However, TSA director Hamid Guemache said that the explanations by the authorities were not convincing and that he suspected that the site had been blocked for political reasons.

According to Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), “The fact that TSA is only inaccessible via the state-owned Internet service providers suggests that it is being blocked for political reasons, because it criticizes the government. We urge the competent authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a quick return to normality and to guarantee media pluralism.”