In 2006, Julien Pain, head of the Internet Desk at
Reporters Without Borders, described North Korea as the world's worst Internet black hole,
[46] in its list of the top 13 Internet enemies.
[47]
Internet access is not generally available in North Korea. Only some high-level officials are allowed to access the global internet.
[48] In most universities, a small number of strictly monitored computers are provided. Other citizens may get access only to the country's
national intranet, called
Kwangmyong.
[49] Foreigners can access the internet using the
3G phone network.
[50][51] However, the IT industry has been growing and Internet access is starting to increase within North Korea.
[52]
Internet access is restricted to regime elites and select university students. The state has created its own substitute "internet" – Kwangmyong, but even this network is restricted to certain elite grade schools, select research institutions, universities, factories, and privileged individuals. Moreover, the intranet is filtered by the
Korea Computer Center, which ensures that only information deemed acceptable by the government can be accessed through the network.
[53]
The North Korean
Ullim, an
Android-based
tablet computer available since 2014, has a high level of inbuilt surveillance and controls. The tablet takes screenshots of apps opened by the user and saves browsing history.
[54]