India cracks down on offensive internet content
India has vowed to crack down on offensive internet content, accusing web firms of failing to cooperate.
Communications Minister Kapil Sibal met officials from Google, Facebook and other websites on Monday.
On Tuesday he said the firms had told him they were unable to take action.
He said the government would introduce category_idelines to ensure “blasphemous material” did not appear on internet. Doctored photos of the PM and Sonia Gandhi have angered the government.
“They have given it to me in writing that they will not do anything until we get an order from the court,” he said.
India has more than 100 million internet users and web companies say the large number means broad action is impossible.
Facebook said in a statement that it recognized the “government’s interest in minimizing the amount of abusive content available online”.
But, it said, there were policies in place that enabled people to report abusive content.
Facebook said it would “continue to engage with the Indian authorities as they debate this important issue”.
India has 28 million Facebook accounts.
Geez – You can’t censor content just because you think it is inappropriate! helllo!?
Social networking is a private affair between friends. Screening results in suppression, which is far more dangerous. If some serious issues are not sorted out through proper use of technology, then what other purposes does it serve? Well, let’s face reality. Our modern times give us free will to do things which actually not forbidden by our law. I’m sure people are responsible enough in handling situations that were said to be censored. I believe these hi-tech gadgets could help them instead in developing their self-discipline by just knowing the right from wrong. However, I’ve heard that the Indian government is meeting Monday with associates from social networks and Internet companies. The meeting is to request the businesses to monitor content generated by Indian consumers. It is part of an extended effort by the Asian country to control Internet information. This new policy could impact everything on the internet including smartphone and website applications.
I read this here: http://www.appisaurus.com/1237-india-screen-content/