Zahle, Lebanon (Credit: Wikipedia)

Lebanon’s media council, the National Audiovisual Media Council, wants “all news websites” including blogs to “register” with the council, Now Lebanon reported.

The council, which was established in 1996, explained to Now Lebanon that it wants online news sites to develop an ethics code and work with the council on creating a media law to govern the news sites and their regulation.

While the council argued it is trying to “protect, not censor, online media,” Now Lebanon reported that “bloggers and free speech activists” question the move and potential censorship.

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