The government in India is defending itself against charges of Internet censorship. The move comes after the government last week asked companies like Facebook and Twitter to block more than three hundred websites.
Officials accused the websites of posting edited images and videos of earthquake victims. They said the websites falsely claimed that the images were Muslim victims caught in recent ethnic conflict in India’s northeastern Assam state and Burma. A number of the images were reportedly uploaded from Pakistan.
Officials said the panic that resulted caused thousands of Hindu immigrants to flee the area. They feared that Muslims would answer the false reports with attacks of their own.
Cyber law expert, lawyer Pawan Duggal says this is the first time the Internet and mobile-phone technology have been used to create fear in a community.
PAWAN DUGGAL: “India has to wake up to the need for putting cyber security as the number-one priority for the nation. Unfortunately, India does not even have a national cyber-security policy. The nation does not have any plan of action, should this kind of emergency happen again. India needs to have its own cyber army of cyber warriors.”
On Friday, India’s Communication and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal dismissed charges that the government is trying to censor social media. But he said the misuse of social media has to be prevented. Pranesh Prakash is program manager at the Bangalore-based Center for Internet and Society. He says some of the Web pages that have been blocked included official news websites.
PRANESH PRAKASH: “I am not questioning the motivations of the government which in this current case seemed to be above board. We found that most of the material that they have complained about is actually stuff that is communal. But I do feel that the government went overboard in doing so, that it has also curbed legitimate reportage.”
He says some of the websites were uploaded by people trying to let others know that the images were false.
The government in India has called on social media companies to come up with a plan to keep offensive material off the Web. Last year, it passed a law that requires companies to remove so-called “objectionable content” when requested to do so.
A Google Transparency report says that last year India topped the list of countries that make such requests. Supporters of online freedom have expressed concern that India may be restricting Web freedom.
About one hundred million people in India use the Internet -- the third-largest number of net users in the world. About seven hundred million people have mobile phones.
And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report. I'm Steve Ember.
【新人教版 必修2】2016届高三英语一轮总复习(佳作诵读+考点锁定+高频考点+课堂双基+课时作业)精品课件《unit 1 Cultural relics》(96张ppt)
贵州省贵阳市2014高考英语(新人教版)一轮阅读训练(17)附答案
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(1)附答案
英语美文:信仰的力量
Last Christmas!威猛乐队主唱乔治迈克尔去世
【人教版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导考点针对练:必修1 unit4《Earthquakes》
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ规范练:1(含解析)
【人教版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导考点针对练:必修1 unit1《Friendship》
俄军机在黑海坠毁无人生还
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ规范练:3(含解析)
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(7)附答案
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ规范练:6(含解析)
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(6)附答案
辽宁省辽阳市2014高考英语单项选择一轮(暑假)训练(10)附答案
【外研英语,七省专用】2014《走向高考》英语一轮总复习(2016春出版)第一部分 教师讲义手册:选修八8-4
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ题型重组训练:第2组(含解析)
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ规范练:8(含解析)
【北京专用】2014届高考英语一轮复习方案课时作业:选修6 Unit 4 Global warming
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(11)附答案
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(3)附答案
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(9)附答案
【北京专用】2014届高考英语一轮复习方案课时作业:选修6 Unit 3 A healthy life
【人教版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导考点针对练:必修1 unit2《English around the world》
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(10)附答案
【人教版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导考点针对练:必修1 unit3《Travel journal》
贵州省贵阳市2014高考英语(新人教版)一轮阅读训练(19)附答案
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ规范练:5(含解析)
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(5)附答案
河南省三门峡市2014高考英语一轮(暑假)基础训练(2)附答案
【优化方案】2017届高考英语二轮复习全国卷Ⅱ题型重组训练:第3组(含解析)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |