Dubai: The nation's internet regulator has reversed recent decisions and again blocked popular networking and photo-sharing websites such as hi5.com and Flickr.com.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said UAE residents recently complained about inappropriate content on both sites, promoting the TRA to again shutter access.

After trying unsuccessfully to block the offending content and leave access to the sites unharmed, the government agency decided to block the sites completely.

A forum, Iwannachat.com, was also blocked after residents complained of a particular chatroom dedicated to the discussion of inappropriate material.

In a bid to make future decisions more transparent, the TRA is forming a committee focused on internet content to assess the danger certain sites pose to the nation's cultural mores.