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FACEBOOK And GOOGLE Ordered To REMOVE ‘Anti-Religious’ CONTENT
Social websites including Google and Facebook have been ordered by an Indian court to remove all ‘anti-religious’ and ‘anti-social’ content within six weeks.
On Saturday a Delhi Court ordered 22 social networking sites, including Yahoo and Microsoft, to wipe the objectionable and defamatory contents and file compliance reports by February 6, 2012.
Additional Civil Judge Mukesh Kumar passed the order on a suit filed by Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi seeking to restrain the websites from circulating objectionable and defamatory contents.
Censored? Along with 22 other social networking sites, Facebook has been ordered to remove 'offensive' content
Qasmi had objected to a number of images on the websites which he complained would cause ‘irreparable loss and injury to the people who are offended by them’.
He argued that some of the images defamed Hindu gods, Prophet Mohammed and other religious figures, India Today website reported.
The order will raise serious questions about how users’ posts and opinions will be edited, censorship and freedom of expression.
On December 22 Judge Kumar had issued summonses to the social networking sites, demanding they remove photographs, videos or texts that might offend religious sentiments, the Hindustan Times website reported.
The order comes a day after a criminal court issued summonses to the sites for facing trial for allegedly webcasting objectionable contents.
Santosh Pandey, appearing for complainant Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi, told The Hindu Times after the court hearing that the websites have to submit a report to the court by February 6 describing the action they had taken to remove the contents from the websites.
Representatives of Yahoo India Pvt Ltd and Microsoft told the court that they had not got copies of the order and complaint against them, but Qasmi’s counsel told the court that he would supply the relevant documents to them, according to the Hindustan Times.
The order comes at a controversial time as IT minister Kapil Sibal had recently discussed with representatives of some of the companies ways to guarantee the offensive contents are not posted.
India Today quoted him as saying: ‘There were some demeaning, degrading, clearly pornographic depictions of gods and goddesses which no reasonable, sensible person anywhere in the world would accept, on any site.
The minister insisted he was not smothering free speech but was suggesting screening possible ‘incendiary’ material.
The Hindu Times reported Facebook India, Facebook, Google India Pvt Ltd, Google Orkut, Youtube, Blogspot, Microsoft India Pvt Ltd, Microsoft, Zombie Time, Exboii, Boardreader, IMC India, My Lot, Shyni Blog and Topix were all given the order.
A Google spokesperson told the website: ‘We comply with valid court orders wherever possible, consistent with our long standing policy.
‘We’re yet to receive the details of this order and can’t comment on this specific case.’
dailymailuk
Posted by
Jo-jinto
January 3, 2012 at 5:59 am
Pornography is not democracy and freedom of expression! I wish even Zambia could pass a similar order so that we protect the moral fibre of our country! God help us.
Takataka
January 3, 2012 at 5:59 am
Gud move. Let tht be extended to Zambia. Social networks including news sites should be censored against the backdrop of freedom of expression in Zambia.
dmx
January 3, 2012 at 6:02 am
Aah,let tumfweko not follow suit by removing my vulgar postings
twiumfwako
January 3, 2012 at 6:33 am
Hats off to India!!!
RØX
January 3, 2012 at 6:37 am
Yaba
The Dead
January 3, 2012 at 6:40 am
Good move, wrong country. I mean, alter an image of a cow in a maybach or how u brutally killed a snake home and its against the gods..
Mwansa
January 3, 2012 at 6:45 am
Big ups 2 India! this social networks innitialy meant well but people have bcome so foolish that they think social networks are for immoral acts.Let this action taken by India be extended 2 Zambia,maybe then things wil get beta here.
Lord have mercy!
Jah is my driver
January 3, 2012 at 6:46 am
To hell with some religions and their gods. Glory to the almighty true God Jehovah.
Ziman
January 3, 2012 at 7:02 am
Aha i recall when HE asked the AG Malila to look @ curbing the vulgar language used on web news like ZWD mosr bloggers especially from the bantustan party spewed scorn @ the HE. Insults in form of unpritables were hurled at the presdo. Some even boasted that the president was a Grade blah blah to comprehend how IT operates. So its possible for some offending sites to be restrained from publishing offensive comments insulting HE. We need such court orders also. Freedom of speech does not mean insulting pipo @ will. I thot that the comments we should post are contributions to the online debate PLIZ BLOGGERS LETS USE CIVILILITY when Bloging. I urge the AG to follow the Indian case so that pipo learn that you cannot continue insulting HE in the nane of IT that its not possible to locate the physical address of Webnews.
munalian
January 3, 2012 at 7:49 am
While the judgement may sound nice it is in reality almost impossible to police because of:
1) cyberspace (as the name implies) has no physical location, there is no office to close or staff to harrass! When the US Govt tried to shut down Wikileaks, supporters of Wikileaks moved its site from webserver to webserver,always in different countries! In that respect,an Indian and Zambian may have “immoral” pictures on Facebook which break “pornography laws” of their respective countries but if there is nothing the Zed or Indian govts can do since Facebook’s servers are in California (which has a $15 billion porn industry!!)
An country had a similar problem with BlackBerry because
Barca 10
January 3, 2012 at 7:58 am
I wish this camz 2 zed so that bloggerz lyk air mukwai,c 5 en co,thinks b4 dey talk,tho i must admit that u guyz ur crazy n funny tutombeko wouldn’t b tunyengeko without u,happy new year,kondwerani mwafikako mu 2012, ba kulu bena chiluba wanakangiwa kufikamo.
munalian
January 3, 2012 at 8:25 am
Oops,clicked wrong icon…
Saudi Arabia had a simular problem with BlackBerry because it couldn’t access its encrypted servers to know what it’s citizens are talking about!!
2)another issue is of “privacy” some people might say that posting (for example) nude or drunken pictures is immoral but does the Govt have a right to instruct its citizens what they should or shouldn’t post online? There is intrinsically no difference between inviting friends over to my house to see a nude picture in an old fashioned photo album or poster and doing exactly the same on social media such as Facebook!!
3) the third issue is “freedom of speech”,some people say the President and churches/religions shouldn’t be criticised let alone be mocked!! The beauty of living in a DEMOCRACY is to speak one’s mind provided it’s measured and doesn’t incite violence! it is for this reason Western politicians are ridiculed everyday of the week but continue with their work and all sorts of religious leaders are best subjects for satire!
Nevertheless,one has to consider the Zambian society,satire on politicians should be welcome as long as it is done on policies rather than tribalism! Issues of “morality” are dictated by the Bible,I don’t have much time for it but I respect the overwhelming majority who swear by it!
In conclusion: banning aspects of social media is somehow futile because technology is quicker than laws! Whether or not those in power realise it,technology has enabled people across the seas to exchange ideas at the click of fingers;up to 5-10 years ago friends were small circles (neighours,class/workmates etc) today,if you’re a fan of super star X or football club Y,you can go online and interact with millions others who might in due time change your views on many issues…that is how Egyptians removed their dictator by using Twitter!! The Egyptian govt first tried to ban the internet but gave up after 3 days!
So this Indian judge may have passed his judgement but he can’t stop an American-indian living in the US from publishing “immoral” pics and publish them on his Indian Facebook page!! Equally,if Pres Sata shut down tumfweko because it’s critical of him,there would be tumfweko1 within hours,if shut down,tumfweko2 etc…
Mwalaikatwa
January 3, 2012 at 8:25 am
China doesn’t allow websites that insult Mao or the ruling party.
munalian
January 3, 2012 at 8:38 am
@mwalakwaita,
It is true that the Chinese govt employs about 50,000 people to monitor its virtual Chinese wall but that is having the exact opposite results of what it desires:
The wealthier the Chinese have become,the more they have travelled abroad and seen reports about their country from a non-State point of view!
Secondly,the richer citizens become,the more they want to be involved in the democratic process…unfortunately the Chinese communist party is still resting this move and as such is seeing more and more demonstrators who are fed up with its corruption!
kabiala unga
January 3, 2012 at 8:58 am
Ndiyevi chan manje?
ONE TIME
January 3, 2012 at 9:21 am
what can say.hualal one time ba facebook tiye nayo.