![Primary school pupils in Algeria [Magharebia/Flickr]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/algeria-primary-school.jpg?fit=1024%2C704&ssl=1)
Algerian authorities have been blocking access to social media platforms across the country since Sunday in order to prevent students from cheating during the baccalaureate exams, according to an AFP news source.
People in Algeria were not able to access social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp and internet access was cut across the country.
More than 600,000 candidates sat the baccalaureate exams, which were scheduled for June but were postponed due to COVID-19.
The exams are scheduled to continue until Thursday.
In April, authorities made amendments to the country’s penal code making “leaking exam questions” an offense which can lead to up to three years in jail. The measure came after exam questions were posted on social media minutes after they were distributed to students in 2016 and 2017.
“An 8 September the Misdemeanour Court in Kalma sentenced the accused B.L, a high school student, to a one-year prison sentence and 100,000 dinars ($783) fine, after he was convicted of posting the answer to an Arabic language exam on his Facebook page,” the Ministry of Justice announced on Saturday.
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