One of the most popular Facebook groups in Uzbekistan is actually illegal under the strict government regime.
Qorqmaymiz, which has around 14,000 members, is described as a groups for Uzbeks who “believe in liberty” and is a place where they frequently post comments critical of the government and other banned content.
It is illegal in Uzbekistan to post any content that is considered “slanderous” against the regime, a deliberately vaguely-worded law that human rights activists have said allows the government to imprison anyone they feel threatens their grip on power.
Online surveillance and the blocking of websites is commonplace in the country, with a new law brought in in 2014 recently making it illegal to post or share “untrue” content.
The Uzbek government shut down a similar online forum called Arbuz in 2011, with some commentators saying it may only be a matter of time until Facebook is blocked as well.Â
