Internet censorship: Users claim YouTube restored temporarily
PTA, ISPs deny reports of unblocking the video-sharing website despite ban.
The ban was imposed on September 17, 2012. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Popular video-sharing website YouTube was temporarily restored by some internet service providers (ISPs) on Thursday and remained accessible even on Friday, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The Pakistan Telecommunic-ation Authority had banned YouTube in September 2012 after Google turned down Islamabad’s request to remove the blasphemous video ‘Innocence of Muslims’, which sparked violence in the Muslim world including Pakistan.
The website was accessible on some ISPs on both Thursday and Friday, according to many internet users approached by The Express Tribune. ISPs, however, denied these reports saying the website remained inaccessible due to the official ban.
PTA sources also confirmed that they did not receive any instructions to unblock the website. “It [YouTube] is still banned,” an official said.
However, PTA had sent a notification to all ISPs stating that it had received reports about ISPs unblocking the website, according to the official. The telecom regulator directed all ISPs to make sure the site remains blocked and to report compliance in this regard.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2013.
Popular video-sharing website YouTube was temporarily restored by some internet service providers (ISPs) on Thursday and remained accessible even on Friday, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The Pakistan Telecommunic-ation Authority had banned YouTube in September 2012 after Google turned down Islamabad’s request to remove the blasphemous video ‘Innocence of Muslims’, which sparked violence in the Muslim world including Pakistan.
The website was accessible on some ISPs on both Thursday and Friday, according to many internet users approached by The Express Tribune. ISPs, however, denied these reports saying the website remained inaccessible due to the official ban.
PTA sources also confirmed that they did not receive any instructions to unblock the website. “It [YouTube] is still banned,” an official said.
However, PTA had sent a notification to all ISPs stating that it had received reports about ISPs unblocking the website, according to the official. The telecom regulator directed all ISPs to make sure the site remains blocked and to report compliance in this regard.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2013.