A new exclusive social network, only for Uzbeks and not for foreigners, is coming to Uzbekistan.

Muloqot.uz (“Dialogue”, “Conversation,” “Communication”), created by Simple Networking Solutions with the support of Uzbektelecom, will be launched in light of Uzbekistan’s 20th Independence Day celebrations on September 1st. On August 19th, at the Museum of Communication History, a press conference was held about the site.

UzReport.com explains the social functions of the social site:

“You can talk with [a] wide scope of interesting people or communicate with friends and relatives, inform they [them] about your joy and success, find like-minded person and exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas in different spheres.”

Muloqot.uz recognizes and supports common human values and national tarditions, principles of equality and tolerance, and stands against violence and all kinds of discrimination.

Muloqot.uz manifesto

Centrasia.ru says that Simple Networking Solutions signed licensing agreement with both the NGO The House of holders of Uzbekistan and the Authors Guild of Uzbekistan, so that “Muloqot.uz” users can enjoy a variety of Uzbek music and foreign authors and performers.

In reporting that the Central Asian region has seen a drastic increase its Facebook subscribership – slightly fewer than 500,000 – Central Asian Newswire says:

“Second in the region is Uzbekistan, which boasted a 33 percent increase rate in the number of Facebook users. The country now has 82,220 users of the site, and is ranked 142nd in terms of usage.”

In Uzbekistan, there are 7.7 million Internet users, 4.27 of which access the World Wide Web via their mobile phones. So, it seems such a website would really take off and gain some ground. But, how open and free will it be – or maybe better said – how monitored and thus potentially censored will it be?

It is a bit ironic that during the same month of announcing the launch of the modern Muloqot.uz social networking site – Uzbek media censors have been back at work, via the international sphere, blocking a very long list of foreign websites.

But even better, in terms of perfect timing and ‘Internet Irony’, TREND reported that during this same month:

“The Uzbek government adopted a decision to create an export commission for the information and mass communication sectors, based on the Cabinet’s regulation “On additional measures on improving system of monitoring in mass communication sector”, aiming “to implement effective monitoring and improving the activities in the generation and dissemination of information by the media and information security of individuals, society, and the state “.

The site has been said to be meant to be a “morality” control website. BBC Russian Service reported Uzbek authorities saying the social network:

“will create conditions…for the formation of high morals, for creation of spurs to successful development of modern knowledge and achievements of technical progress, with objective of realization of the idea of the comprehensively developed person.”

Publiciti.ru recounts how the Uzbek Internet-portal “VredNovosti” covered this story – from two points of view.

First, a quote from an Uzbek opposition representative, skeptical of the freedom that this might bring who rather sees it as a control over the behavior of Uzbek Internet users:

“According to Uzbek authorities, the new social network should promote and strengthen moral rectitude of users, encourage them to develop new knowledge and technologies. The officially announced goal of the project is to “implement a comprehensive development of a human”.”

Second, a quote from expert and political analyst Farkhad Talipov, highlighting the fear Uzbek authorities have regarding the Middle East Uprising fever spreading to a country whose ideology has been controlled for the past 20 years :

“The Uzbek secrete services are unable to control Western and Russian social networking websites, and this is why the Uzbek government decided to create a controlled Uzbek social network, VredNovosti writes. The “Muloqot” may be another attempt to keep Uzbek users in control.”

In continuing, BBC Russian Service interviewed Uzbek opposition blogger Kudrat Babacan residing in Sweden, who said:

“I think the authorities are afraid that in Uzbekistan can be a revolution similar to what happened in the Middle East – Babacan said. – Special services can not control foreign social networks and YouTube, so they decided to create their own, more controlled network.”

And BBC Russian Service also spoke with Talipov, who said:

“Likely, it will be a modernized version of the ideological work that the government is already conducting for the past 20 years”

But nonetheless, UzReport.com explains why Uzbek’s should be excited about the site:

“Social net “Muloqot.uz” will start in full mode at the Independence day of Uzbekistan – 1st of September. Thus, people of Uzbekistan will receive well alternative social net to popular foreign social nets as “Facebook” and “Odnoklassniki.ru”. And what is more, new Uzbekistan social net has well chance to be the most popular in our country.”

So power to the people in Uzbekistan for having their own site where the can communicate with each other on. But while the site certainly seems liberating – in this digital-day-in-age – the initiative might just be too claustrophobic for Uzbeks wanting to be ‘social’ with those outside the country’s Internet airwaves, since this site only specifically functions for Uzbeks inside Uzbekistan.