NEW YORK — Repressive regimes have stepped up efforts to censor the Internet and jail dissidents, Reporters Without Borders said in a study released late last week.

By JOE McDONALD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS China's top Internet regulator insisted Friday that Google must obey its laws or 'pay the consequences,' giving no sign of a possible compromise in their dispute over censorship and hacking.

A Chinese internet official refuses to blink in the 2-month-old censorship flap with Google. He said "consequences" would be felt if Google stops filtering search results in China.

Defying censorship, Chinese netizens verbalize opposition through slang expressions.

More and more countries are censoring what their citizens can access on the internet. On the third annual 'world day against cyber censorship' Reporters without Borders has again warned of growing surveillance.

The government's proposed internet filter has landed Australia on a global watch list for internet censorship, prompting one industry figure to note that Australia's policy could be used by authoritarian regimes to justify internet restrictions.

A top media rights watchdog has listed Australia along with Iran and North Korea in a report on countries that pose a threat of internet censorship.

Sydney, March 12 : A top media rights watchdog has listed Australia along with Iran and North Korea in a report on countries that pose a threat of internet censorship.

Repressive regimes have stepped up efforts to censor the Internet and jail dissidents, Reporters Without Borders said in a study out Thursday.

Some fairly stretch wordplay by a SA senator, Maurice Newman's climate change speech continues to make waves, Australia shamed for internet censorship plans and other media snippets.

THE INTERNET'S `ENEMIES': A dozen countries were deemed by Reporters Without Borders to be the most repressive at censorship. THE CHANGES: The list is the same from last year, but the group finds China, Iran and Tunisia more sophisticated at censorship.

A MEDIA rights watchdog has listed Australia alongside Iran and North Korea in a report on countries threatening censorship.

THE INTERNET'S `ENEMIES': A dozen countries were deemed by Reporters Without Borders to be the most repressive at censorship.

Reporters Without Borders issued its annual report on countries least tolerant of Internet freedoms:

Reporters Without Borders issued its annual report on countries least tolerant of Internet freedoms: Enemies of the Internet: China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Legislation in the House would require the National Science Foundation to set up a foundation to fund programs to defeat Internet censorship.

A top media rights watchdog listed Australia along with Iran and North Korea in a report published Friday on countries that pose a threat of Internet censorship.

Reporters Without Borders issued its annual report on countries least tolerant of Internet freedoms: Enemies of the Internet: China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Countries Under... Saudi Arabia - Reporters Without Borders - Internet censorship - Middle East - Censorship

Reporters Without Borders issued its annual report on countries least tolerant of Internet freedoms: Enemies of the Internet: Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Enemies of the Internet: Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Countries Under Surveillance: Australia, Bahrain, Belarus, Eritrea, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.