Jordan
Internet governance in Jordan has seen significant developments over the years. The country has experienced rapid growth in internet use, with the government promoting its benefits and imposing minimal restrictions. The government in Jordan has invested significantly in e-government initiatives to enhance service delivery and efficiency. Despite efforts to improve e-government services, Jordan’s global rank in e-government readiness remains relatively low, although it fares better compared to other Arab countries.
Internet governance
Jordan has established a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to govern the internet. This includes laws and regulations related to cybersecurity, data protection, and electronic transactions. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) is the primary body responsible for regulating and monitoring the telecommunications and information technology sectors in Jordan. It ensures compliance with international standards and facilitates the growth of these sectors.
Jordan’s approach to data protection is currently embedded within various laws and regulations rather than a single, comprehensive data protection law. Key aspects of data protection are covered under:
- Electronic Transactions Law: This law (Law No. 15 of 2015) includes provisions for the protection of personal data processed electronically. It mandates certain protections regarding the collection, processing, and sharing of electronic data.
- Cybercrime Law: While primarily focused on cybercrime, this law also touches on aspects related to unauthorized access to data and information systems.
- Telecommunications Law: Includes regulations that protect user privacy and personal data handled by telecommunications service providers.
A significant aspect of the discussion around internet governance in Jordan is the issue of censorship. The Jordanian government has occasionally (according to Freedom House – FREEDOM ON THE NET 2023) blocked access to websites and filtered online content for reasons including political dissent, security concerns, and moral objections. These actions have sparked a broader debate about freedom of expression online and the transparency of the methods used to implement content restrictions.
Digital strategies
Jordan has been proactive in developing and implementing digital strategies to enhance its technological infrastructure, stimulate economic growth, and improve public services through digital transformation. These strategies are part of a broader vision to establish Jordan as a regional tech hub. Here’s an overview of the major digital strategies in Jordan:
1. Jordan’s National Digital Transformation Strategy (REACH 2025)
REACH 2025 is a national digital strategy aimed at accelerating the country’s digital transformation and development of the digital economy over the next five years. It focuses on several key areas:
- ICT Talent Development: Strengthening education and training in the ICT sector to prepare a skilled workforce.
- Supporting Startups: Providing resources, funding, and support systems to encourage the growth of tech startups.
- Regulatory Frameworks: Modernizing laws and regulations to create a favorable business environment for tech companies.
2. E-Government Program
This program aims to digitize government services to make them more accessible to the public. Key components include:
- Online Services: Launching platforms where citizens can access various government services online, reducing the need for physical visits to government offices.
- Interoperability Framework: Developing standards and systems that allow different government databases and applications to work together seamlessly.
- Cybersecurity Measures: Ensuring the security and privacy of data handled by government platforms.
3. National Broadband Network Programm
The initiative aims to expand broadband access across Jordan, particularly in underserved and rural areas, to ensure equitable access to digital services. This includes:
- Infrastructure Development: Laying down fiber optic cables and enhancing mobile network coverage.
- Affordable Access: Working with service providers to offer affordable internet services to boost adoption rates.
4. Digital Skills and Literacy
To ensure that the wider population can participate in the digital economy, Jordan has invested in:
- Digital Literacy Campaigns: Programs aimed (such as Digital Skills for a Better Future Programme with support from UNICEF Jordan) at improving basic digital skills across all segments of society.
- Advanced ICT Training: Offering specialised training in areas such as AI, machine learning, and data analysis.
Cybersecurity
Jordan’s National Cyber Security Strategy for 2018-2023 outlines a structured approach to cybersecurity, aiming to protect cyberspace across various layers—international, national, sectoral, organizational, and individual. This comprehensive plan is designed to defend against a diverse array of cyber threats.
Strategic Protection Measures
The strategy emphasizes establishing systematic security measures that encompass all aspects of society and governance. By implementing robust protections across different levels, the goal is to shield Jordan’s digital infrastructure from the increasing threats that challenge cybersecurity globally.
Education and Public Awareness
A significant portion of the strategy is dedicated to education and raising public awareness about cybersecurity risks. It underscores the critical role of academia in providing the necessary skills and knowledge to citizens, equipping them to navigate and secure their digital environments effectively.
Legislation and Regulatory Framework
The Cybercrime Law, noted for its stringent controls over online content, exemplifies the legal measures being taken to combat cyber threats. This law penalizes online posts that are considered harmful to public morals, religious respect, or national unity with fines and even imprisonment. The law was criticised for its strict provision.
Institutional Support
Established in 2017 as part of the National Cybersecurity Center, JoCERT plays a vital role in responding to cybersecurity incidents. This entity is tasked with building a responsive and capable system for managing cyber operations, enhancing Jordan’s ability to react to and mitigate the impacts of cyber incidents.
AI strategies and policies
Jordan is advancing in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), leveraging its capabilities across various industries and solidifying its status as a regional hub for this cutting-edge technology. The Jordanian government is actively fostering AI growth through various initiatives that support research, development, and integration, thereby nurturing an ecosystem conducive to AI-driven entrepreneurship.
The IT sector in Jordan represents a significant portion of the economy, contributing 3.8% to the national GDP, with total revenues surpassing US$2.3 billion annually. The country’s AI landscape is burgeoning, supported by over 900 active IT companies and providing employment to approximately 26,000 individuals. Ranked 49th on the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI), Jordan is home to more than 25 business incubators, accelerators, and innovation centers.
Government efforts are also geared towards promoting the adoption of AI in public governance and services, as well as in sectors that have wide-reaching social impacts. AI is increasingly applied in vital sectors such as healthcare, finance, e-commerce, agriculture, and tourism, where it is driving efficiency and spearheading innovative solutions.
Jordan’s commitment to building AI capabilities continues with significant investments in education and research. Academic programs are increasingly incorporating AI disciplines, and research institutions are actively engaged in exploring the frontiers of AI technology.
General profile
Official name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
National internet domain: JO
Area: 89,341 km2
Capital: Amman
Population: 11.29 million
Population growth: 1.2
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.Life expectancy at birth: 74.26
Total years (2020year)Rule of law estimate: 0.21
Rule of Law captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5 (Estimate 2021)
Regulatory quality estimate: 0.23
Political stability: -0.28
Economic info
Currency: Jordanian dinar
Unemployment: 19.25
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)GDP (current US$): 46 billion
GDP growth (annual %): 2.4
GDP per capita (current US$): 4,311.00
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %): 1.35
GNI (current US$): 48 billion
The Gross National Income, GNI, formerly referred to as gross national product (GNP), measures the total domestic and foreign value added claimed by residents, at a given period in time, usually a year, expressed in current US dollars using the World Bank Atlas method. GNI comprises GDP plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from non-resident sources.Ease of doing business score: 68.97
The ease of doing business score benchmarked economies concerning their proximity to the best performance in each area measured by Doing Business for the year 2019. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from0 = lowest performance to 100 = best performance
Digital profile
Internet and social media penetration:
Individuals using the internet: 90.5 (2022)
Social media statistics: 6.38 million
Estimate for 2024Male internet users: 82.7 (2021)
Male internet users as a % of total male populationFacebook users: 5.30 million
Estimate for 2024Female internet users: 88.7 (2021)
Female Internet users as a % of total female populationInstagram users: 3.70 million
Estimate for 2024Households with internet access at home: 92.2 (2022)
Linkedin users: 1.60 million
Estimate for 2024Fixed broadband subscriptions: 6.4 (2021)
Total fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) refers to fixed subscriptions to high-speed access to the public internet (a TCP/IP connection), at downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s.Twitter users: 1.09 million
Estimate for 2024Mobile infrastructure and access:
Mobile ownership: 78.9
Mobile phone ownership as a % of total population (Estimate for 2022)Mobile Infrastructure: 67.6
Mobile Infrastructure index: High-performance mobile internet coverage availability. It includes parameters such as network coverage, performance, quality of supporting infrastructure and amount of spectrum assigned to mobile network operators (Estimate for 2022)Male mobile ownership: No data
Male mobile phone ownership as a % of total male populationMobile Affordability: 51.0
Mobile Affordability index : The availability of mobile services and devices at price points that reflect the level of income across a national population. It includes parameters such as mobile tariffs, headset prices, taxation and inequality (Estimate for 2022)Female mobile ownership: 92.5 (2021)
Female mobile phone ownership as a % of total female populationCybersecurity Index: 70.96
Cybersecurity Index (Estimate for 2021): ITU cybersecurity valueNetwork performance: 59.7
Network performance index: Quality of mobile services measured by download speed, upload speed and latencies (Estimate for 2022)Mobile download speeds: 20.1
Mobile download speeds: Average download speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2021)Mobile uploads speeds: 66.6
Mobile uploads speeds: average uploads speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2022)Mobile Latencies: 92.3
Mobile Latencies: Average latency for mobile users (originally in milliseconds) (Estimate for 2022)Speedtest-Broadband: 26.0
Speedtest-Broadband: The value is expressed in Mbps (Estimate for 2022)Network coverage: 89.7
Network coverage (% of total population) (Estimate for 2022)2G Coverage: 99.8
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2022)3G Coverage: 99.8
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2022)4G Coverage: 99.7
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2022)5G Coverage: 0.0
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2022)Operating system and browser market share estimate:
Operating system market share (%):
Desktop, Tablet & Console Operating System Market Share: Estimate for 2024Browser market share (%):
Browser Market Share Worldwide: Estimate for 2024Android: 65.5
Chrome: 65.5
Windows: 14.7
Safari: 18.1
iOS: 13.9
Edge: 5.2
OS X: 1.6
Firefox: 2.8
Linux: 0.6
Samsung Internet: 2.6
The UN E-Government Survey 2022:
The UN E-Government Survey is the assessment of the digital government landscape across all UN member states. The E-Government Survey is informed by over two decades of longitudinal research, with a ranking of countries based on the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies.E-Government Rank: 100
Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies. Estimate gives the country's rank.E-Government Index: 0.61
The EGDI is a composite measure of three important dimensions of e-government, namely: provision of online services, telecommunication connectivity and human capacity. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.E-Participation Index: 0.55
The E-Participation Index (EPI) is derived as a supplementary index to the United Nations E-Government Survey. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Online Service Index: 0.66
The online services index was developed by the UN to evaluate the scope and quality of government online services. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Human Capital Index: 0.7
The Human Capital Index (HCI) quantiï¬_x0081_es the contribution of health and education to the productivity of the next generation of workers. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Telecommunication Infrastructure Index: 0.47
Telecommunication Infrastructure Index- Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) Composite Indicator that measures the countries' Telecommunication infrastructure readiness to adopt the opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technology as to enhance their competitiveness. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.ICT information:
ICT skills
Information economy indicators
Individuals with basic ICT skills (%): No data
Share of ICT goods, % of total exports (value) 1.00 (2020)
Individuals with standard ICT skills (%): No data
Share of ICT goods, % of total import (value): 4.99 (2020)
Individuals with advanced ICT skills (%): No data
Most visited website: kooora.com
The survey conducted in 2022 excluded global dominant sites (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, and Google) and search engines (e.g., Yahoo, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Naver, and Yandex) to level the playing field and discount middle-man visits. Likewise, it did not include adult, betting, illegal streaming/downloading services, and malicious websites.
