Google builds local version of YouTube just for Pakistan to circumvent 3-year ban

[Arty]

http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/18/google-builds-local-version-of-youtube-just-for-pakistan-to-circumvent-3-year-ban/

 

 

ISLAMABAD (By Tommy Wilkes, Reuters) – Pakistan said on Monday it had removed a three-year ban on YouTube after the Google-owned video-sharing website launched a local version that allows the government to remove material it considers offensive.

 

Pakistan banned access to YouTube in September 2012 after an anti-Islam film, “Innocence of Muslims”, was uploaded to the site, sparking violent protests across major cities in the Muslim-majority country of 190 million people.

 

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom said in a statement that under the new version of YouTube, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority can ask for access to offending material to be blocked.

 

“On the recommendation of PTA, Government of Pakistan has allowed access to recently launched country version of YouTube for Internet users in Pakistan,” the ministry said.

 

“Google has provided an online web process through which requests for blocking access of the offending material can be made by PTA to Google directly and Google/YouTube will accordingly restrict access to the said offending material for users within Pakistan.”

 

Blasphemy is a highly sensitive subject in Pakistan, where angry mobs have killed many people accused of insulting Islam. The crime of blasphemy can carry the death penalty, although a death sentence has never been carried out.

 

Pakistan has blocked thousands of web pages it deems undesirable in the last few years as internet access spreads, but activists say the government sometimes blocks sites to muzzle liberal or critical voices.

 

essentially 

Google Makes local copy

The pakistan government can block videos it finds offensive etc.

 

 

how unfortunate they had to block it, but at least they have youtube?, so i guess not a total loss. 

 

[Enderman]

better some than none, amiright?

[ivan134]

It's always unfortunate to see corporations willing to do anything for an extra buck, including supporting government censorship.

[Serin]

Its shite like this that makes me repost Charlie Hebdo cartoons all over the internet. YOU WILL BE OFFENDED!

[Arty]

It's always unfortunate to see corporations willing to do anything for an extra buck, including supporting government censorship.

i mean internet

no internet

 

would you have no food 

or some shitty food.

 

either way it still sucks

[ForsakenLive]

It's always unfortunate to see corporations willing to do anything for an extra buck, including supporting government censorship.

why would they event want to fight that government? Would you do it?

[dmegatool]

 

 

Pakistan banned access to YouTube in September 2012 after an anti-Islam film, “Innocence of Muslims”, was uploaded to the site, sparking violent protests across major cities [...]

 

Like really ? Violent protests about a video ? ... on youtube ? Religion really is the cancer of our area. 

[Arty]

Religion really is the cancer of our area. 

Human is the biggest cancer but thats def second place. 

[thekeemo]

It's always unfortunate to see corporations willing to do anything for an extra buck, including supporting government censorship.

except this time many people were for it

And from what I can tell people report not the gov

[ivan134]

It's always unfortunate to see corporations willing to do anything for an extra buck, including supporting government censorship.

People who say things like this are usually people who live in countries that have no censorship, but have come to take something as important as freedom of information for granted. Why would you want your government to control what information you can or can't consume? Google could have taken a principled stance on this, but an extra dollar was more important.

 

except this time many people were for it

And from what I can tell people report not the gov

I guarantee you that it was the loudest, angriest and scariest voices that were for it. Anyone else would dare not speak in fear of their lives.

[thekeemo]

People who say things like this are usually people who live in countries that have no censorship, but have come to take something as important as freedom of information for granted. Why would you want your government to control what information you can or can't consume? Google could have taken a principled stance on this, but an extra dollar was more important.

 

I guarantee you that it was the loudest, angriest and scariest voices that were for it. Anyone else would dare not speak in fear of their lives.

I wouldnt go as far but I agree with the general idea of the loudest angriest voices

I mean that is how we went back to a dictatorship is in Egypt after we finally got what we wanted

[Maslofski]

this could end bad, now any country (that has a big enough viewership) could just do the same thing

[azurezeed]

Wow, let's hope more countries won't follow suit

Although it's better than nothing I guess...

[Dabombinable]

The whole angry mobs killing people for blasphemy thing....is why countries like Pakistan should just be left alone in their ignorance.

[SurvivorNVL]

The whole angry mobs killing people for blasphemy thing....is why countries like Pakistan should just be left alone in their ignorance.

Or we can air drop some text books on Darwinism and evolution and see what happens.