The recent history of governments vs. the Internet

RIM-UAE dust up only the latest example of countries fighting access

At what price free information?

"Information wants to be free," the saying goes. But what if the information in question consists of state secrets, copyrighted material or is simply something a government doesn't want its citizens to see?

Well, that's where things get tricky. Since the Web makes it far easier to access information than ever before, governments have had a harder time keeping the lid on information they don't want the public to consume and have often found themselves butting heads with tech companies who deliver Internet services or content. The most recent flap is between BlackBerry maker Research in Motion and two Middle Eastern countries that want to restrict what their citizens can do with their BlackBerry devices. In this slideshow we'll provide you with a brief overview of some of the battles over information that governments have waged against tech companies over the past decade, from Sweden's battle against Pirate Bay to Saudi Arabia's RIM restrictions.

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