India’s internet censorship
India has blocked 245 websites, banned the sending out of bulk text messages and even blocked the Twitter accounts of some Indian journalists. It is unwise to expect Twitter to be able to monitor the countless messages that are constantly posted on it. Platforms like Twitter rely on self-policing. A better solution would be for individual users to identify inflammatory messages and then report them to Twitter. Incitement to violence is not protected under any freedom of speech laws but Twitter will need help to ensure the smooth running of a community that essentially needs to police itself.
India, of all countries, should understand that reversing the tide of technological progress is unwise. The economic boom it witnessed has been driven by an IT revolution. The solution to the current situation is to target those responsible for inciting violence and not go after the medium through which they have been doing it. The internet, along with websites like Twitter, are powerful tools allowing the free flow of ideas. Occasionally, this space can be misused. In the long run, though, the world is better off with Twitter available as a tool for protest. Democratic governments need to recognise this rather than try to stem the tide of progress.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2012.
COMMENTS (11)
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Going after the source of these hate messages would mean going after extremist muslim youth in the country. And that would be against "secularism". So its vote-bank politics as usual for the congress and its italian master.
"The solution to the current situation is to target those responsible for inciting violence and not go after the medium through which they have been doing it" ---
Dear writer ,
Facebook and twitter is not blocked in the country . Only the religious fundamentalists who try to use it for spreading hatred are being watched upon.The sites the Indian gov has mentioned are the real culprits and they mobilize the brainwashed section of society . These youths also misunedrstand the nature of the conflit , whether it is due to illegal immigrants or a religious violence .Sometimes we take bitter pills as remedy and we consider this action as bitter pills.So no need to write a editorial for this.
@ Editor, Excellent article. Agreed 100%. You have left nothing else to be said......
As far as I'm concerned blocking and censorship is simply a form of hiding from reality. People should be told to grow up rather than get treated like children. Some of the most morbid, hateful and terrible things are found in history books used in schools. Because it's reality. Everyone has to come to terms with it at some point. Since when is everything supposed to be all pleasant, peaceful and perfect? You actually have to confront the bad things if you want to make even the slightest amount of progress. Hiding from it all just makes it all pile up... Which appears to have been the common choice for quite some time now. That's why there's so much bad in the world. Sure, we'll probably always have some. Less is nice, though.
it's an attempt by the UPA govt. to conceal the truth in the matter.
all these hate-spewing sites did little, but what actually worked was the urdu media in INDIA.
and, the indian government is desperately trying to hide the real reason, by blaming it on pakistan. for example, read the following article in outlook. and, keep in mind OUTLOOK is extremely leftist magazine which on it's debut cover back in 1995/96 stated that 75 % of kashmiris want seccession from india.
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?282041
Specific sites with hate speech are blocked. India is also working with google and facebook to remove hate content. There is no blanket ban on google, twitter or facebook as was witnessed in Pakistan in the past.
I would disagree if the government rests complacent by just doing these measures. But if these measures are part of a holistic plan to restore peace and also confidence in North Eastern people, there is nothing wrong with it. Also unsure why it it is problematic to temporarily block bulk upload of SMS, if it has been identified that this communication tool was used to spread fear. Surely this cannot be compared from disabling cell phones altogether for 12 hours on Eid - as happened in Pakistan?
After 9/11 incidents, US government grounded all flights in the country for 48 hours. These measures taken by India are not inimical to freedom of speech since hate speech is not protected by any laws.
I expect a strong retaliation from Indian trolls, this time please don't hide under Pakistani/Afghani looking ID's.
Playing the Devils Advocate here; GOI is taking this step to prevent hyper sensitive and intellectually compromised Muslims from going ballistic over Burma and the expulsion of illegal Bangladeshis Muslims from Assam. The apprehension is that over-reaction by Muslims may precipitate conditions that lead to communal strife.
I do not support censorship of any type, though.
The socio-political shortcomings get visibly magnified at occations like this. Infact it is a mere luck that every potentially spreadable small-scale social conflict doesn´t gather enough momentum to grow uncontrollable. If anything can be done against such unrests, is a totally different matter than trying to smother social networks which are an inevitable part of the day-to-day life. It shows the fragility of `unity in diversity´and the patchwork-governments´s lack of commitment in repairing the social fissures.The tunnel´s end is yet to be sighted.
throw away congress. they will continue selling India for their greed and votebank
Its not Indian gov's act. Its Congress' act to distract (again) from the real issues. And in the disguise of blocking hate-spreading sites and accounts they have blocked mainly those who were speaking against Congress and its allies.