The government needs to take a reality check regarding the internet. PHOTO: FILE
The government needs to take a reality check regarding the internet. Anybody in Pakistan can access YouTube and other ‘banned’ material by the simple and free application of Virtual Private Network software, and many millions reportedly do just that. By blocking YouTube, however, the greater damage is that in the long run, while the world seems to be moving ahead in terms of using the internet, we are only going backwards.
Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman has spoken of a committee being formed to see how other Muslim-majority countries handle the matter of blocking certain content on the internet. But learning how to responsibly use the internet should actually be done in tandem with actually using it. Blocking it alone only serves to deprive us of the vast educational and entertainment material available on it, as well as a website that links us with and brings us closer to the rest of the world. From something as simple as taking a music video global, to learning from college lectures, YouTube has many advantages. And in this day and age, it would be far better for us to take advantage of them rather than blocking ourselves off from the outside world. The blocking of the website also sets a dangerous precedent and it is about time that the government stop dragging its feet on the issue and restore access to the website.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2014.
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The unserious factor is actually the excuses for what the ban should be lifted...
I don't know why this is so important to lift the ban when you already are telling that people have access to it via VPN/proxies... If you have access to something via any other sources, you won't see towards Govt. to lift the ban...
Second, there is already 16 months passed as you mentioned.... What serious damage has been made to our society? Can you tell one?
I believe I'd been using YouTube since its initial days before when it got famous and bought by Google... I've gotten benefitted through it when it was a source. But when it is not, there are other ways, always...
You can't just push again and again to lift the ban for no serious reasons when there are serious reasons to PUT a ban on something... Blasphemy was a serious reason when they didn't hear you or respect you while they are biased and have dual policies for different countries...
best of luck... Hope they lift the ban for you anytime soon
Another occasion for another pity party! How many of the people on this forum have any idea what theyre talking about? Internet surveillance, ha! The Pakistani govt is probably the least equipped and the one doing the least amount of snooping in the world. And censorship on the internet goes on all over the world! Come on, grow up guys. The Wild West days of the internet are long gone. There isnt a government in the first world that isnt wholeheartedly snooping on its citizens, or carrying out censorship. Even heard of Snowden, Manning, Assange, Gottfrid? There is no absolute freedom of speech... get used to it!
Its pretty funny. The irony of demanding Youtube and expressing concern over being spied on on the internet at the same time. Hilarious!