Sohail Abid

Pakistani Government Blocks YouTube!

UPDATE: Youtube.com is accessible now. It was banned due to trailer of an upcoming documentary “De Koranfilm” by Nederland’s MP (Member Parliament) Geert Wilders. The trailer is removed from youtube. The url of the trailer is still banned.

I’ve just got an email from my ISP telling me that authorities have ordered them to block access to YouTube.com! When will “the authorities” understand blocking a thing isn’t a solution of anything. Here is the text of email:

Dear Valued Customer:

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk) has directed all ISPs of the country to block access to www.youtube.com web site for containing blasphemous web content/movies.

The site would remain blocked till further orders from PTA. Meanwhile, Internet users can write to youtube.com to remove the objectionable web content/movies because this removal would enable the authorities to order un-blocking of this web site.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience.

Best Regards

Manager
Technical Assistance Center
Micronet Broadband Pvt. Ltd.
Islamabad

5 responses

  1. Fariha Akhtar Avatar
    Fariha Akhtar

    He he…PTA is probably not aware of proxy sites :) Btw I can still access Youtube and I’m using WorldCall connection.

    Reply
  2. Usman Saeed Avatar
    Usman Saeed

    I don’t understand when will PTA stop these mindless tasks. Is this the solution? Why why don’t they understand that there is nothing you can stop in cyberspace.
    The proper solution is that Government of Pakistan should lodge a formal complaint with Google to remove this content. I have also learnt some thing more, that in their haste to block the site in Pakistan, they ended up blocking it for everyone in the world! Check this out:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7262071.stm
    I can’t believe it. I am sure Google might not be able to believe either. Pakistanis really show their creativity (in negative sense).

    Reply
  3. Sohail Avatar
    Sohail

    @ Fariha: I’m sure engineers are PTA are aware but its good that they dont tell everything to the decision maker ‘boss’..

    @ Usman: I am just getting one point that may be its to stop riots in Pakistan. You know some of our country men (u know whom I am referring to) start destruction in their own land after they see/read such things.

    Reply
  4. Khan Avatar
    Khan

    Of course the reason behind blocking youtube would have been this riot issue … It may sound foolish to some of us but then we are well aware how some maniac can use this to bring ppl on streets and break everything which comes their way ….

    Reply
  5. joris Avatar
    joris

    The movie is a joke…
    It’s a ‘cut and paste’ like thing.
    Nothing new, nothing shokking, nothing worth talking about.

    Reply

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