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Censorship of YouTube

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 71.109.148.127 (talk) at 22:07, 3 July 2010 (→{{flagicon|China}} People's Republic of China: Unless someone checks daily and has a bot set to remove this the very day blocking ends, it is not correct to say the blocking is in effect "today".). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about censorship of YouTube by governments and organizations. For censorship by YouTube itself, see Censorship by Google § YouTube.

YouTube, the third most visited website in the world (according to Alexa Internet), has been censored several times in some countries since its inception. These countries include Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. YouTube has also been censored by individual institutions within the United States and United Kingdom.

As of March 2010, countries with standing bans on YouTube are Mainland China, Iran, Libya, Tunisia, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.

In April 2010, Youtube started to block access to videos in the United States of America in relation to copyright claims by companies such as UMG, WMG, and Viacom.

Worldwide

Windows Live Messenger

On May 10, 2008, Microsoft temporarily banned functional YouTube links from its Live Messenger Service (although the ban was lifted as of 21:30 GDT). Microsoft never commented on the blocking. The sending of any functional link starting with either http:// or www. with the string "youtube.com" contained within it returned an error message saying "The following message could not be delivered to all recipients: (original message here)." Coincidentally, or not, Messenger TV, a new video service provided by Microsoft was scheduled for release the same week.[1]

By educational institutions

Brigham Young University

Some U.S. Colleges are also blocking YouTube access. Brigham Young University, a private university run by the LDS (Mormon) Church had blocked YouTube access in the past, but this policy was changed in June 2009.[2]

Southern California Institute of Architecture

The graduate and undergraduate student bodies of the Southern California Institute of Architecture are denied access to YouTube and other common video sites such as Google Video, without regard for their educational content. The administration cites bandwidth concerns to legitimize this prohibition.

In NSW

Youtube has been blocked at all schools routed through the DET's network, however you may access it via a proxy. Teachers may show educational videos.

K-12 Schools

Many K-12 schools in the United States and Canada block access to YouTube due to sexual, violent, and unusual content, and due to bandwidth consumption. Some schools do allow it for educational purposes.

In The UK

YouTube and other video streaming websites are also blocked from access in schools across the UK to 'avoid distraction from work'. This only applies to students, as in some schools some teachers are allowed access to YouTube to show videos which are educational. This is done through the use of proxy censor systems through the council's Internet provision, which most schools receive through.

In most East Midlands schools, including RBEC, YouTube is blocked using filtering made available by the East Midlands Broadband Company.[citation needed]

Some schools across the UK, however, allow access to YouTube for the students but they are only permitted to watch videos considered to be appropriate. They are not to log into their accounts or upload videos.[citation needed]

UCTI Malaysia

YouTube has been blocked from access to reduce the likelihood of students clogging up the bandwith.

By businesses

Hospital Corporation of America

Hospital Corporation of America blocks access to YouTube on its computers. This may be due to bandwidth consumption.

By country

Armenia Armenia

Following the disputed February 2008 presidential elections, the Armenian Government temporarily blocked internet users from YouTube. The Armenian opposition had used the website to publicize video of police and military brutality carried out against anti-government protesters.

Brazil Brazil

YouTube is being sued by Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniela Cicarelli (better known as Ronaldo's ex-fiancée) on the grounds that the site makes available video footage made by a paparazzo in which she and her boyfriend are having sex on a Spanish beach. The lawsuit requires that YouTube be blocked in Brazil until all copies of the video are removed. On Saturday, January 6, 2007, a legal injunction ordered that filters be put in place to prevent users in Brazil from accessing the website.[3][4]

The effectiveness of the measure has been questioned, since the video is available not only on YouTube, but also on other sites as part of an Internet phenomenon. On Tuesday, January 9, 2007, the same court overturned their previous decision, ordering the filters removed, although the footage itself remained forbidden, but without technical support for its blockage.[5]

Bangladesh Bangladesh

In March 2009, YouTube was blocked in Bangladesh after a recording of a meeting between the prime minister and army officers was posted revealing anger by the military on how the government was handling a mutiny by border guards in Dhaka.The block is lifted at present.[6]

Indonesia Indonesia

On April 1, 2008, Indonesian information minister, Muhammad Nuh, wrote to YouTube asking them to remove a controversial Dutch film, Fitna, made by Dutch right-wing politician, Geert Wilders. The Indonesian government allowed two days for the removal of the video, or YouTube would be blocked in Indonesia. On April 4, 2008, Muhammad Nuh asked all Internet service providers to block the access to YouTube.[7][8] On April 5, 2008, YouTube was blocked for testing by one ISP.[9] Finally, on April 8, YouTube, along with MySpace, Metacafe, RapidShare, Multiply, Liveleak, and Fitna's official site, were blocked in Indonesia.[10] YouTube's ban was lifted on April 10.[11] There may still be some blocking in May 2008 according to local inhabitants.

Iran Iran

On December 3, 2006, Iran blocked YouTube, along with several other sites, after declaring them "immoral". The YouTube ban came after a video was posted online that appears to show an Iranian soap opera star having sex.[12] Only www.youtube.com is filtered; other servers such as ca.youtube.com are open. The block was later lifted and then reinstated after the 2009 presidential election.[13]

Libya Libya

On 24 January 2010, Libya indefinitely blocked YouTube after it featured videos of demonstrations in the Libyan city of Benghazi by families of detainees who were killed in Abu Salim prison in 1996, as well as videos of family members of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi at parties. The ban was condemned by Human Rights Watch.[14]

Morocco Morocco

On May 25, 2007, the state-owned Maroc Telecom blocked all access to YouTube.[15] There were no reasons given as to why YouTube was blocked, but speculations are that it might have something to do with some posted pro-separatist group Polisario clips (Polisario being the Western Sahara independence movement) or because of some videos criticizing King Mohammed VI. The government ban did not concern the other two private internet providers, Wana and Méditel. YouTube became accessible again on May 30, 2007, after Maroc Telecom unofficially announced that the denied access to the website was a mere "technical glitch".[16]

Pakistan Pakistan

YouTube was blocked in Pakistan following a decision taken by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on February 22, 2007 because of the number of "non-Islamic objectionable videos."[17] One report specifically names Fitna, a controversial Dutch film, as the basis for the block.[18] Pakistan, an Islamic republic, ordered its ISPs to block access to YouTube "for containing blasphemous web content/movies."[19]Blasphemy law in Pakistan calls for life imprisonment or death. Router misconfiguration by one Pakistani ISP effectively blocked YouTube access worldwide for several hours on February 24, 2007.[20]

This follows increasing unrest in Pakistan by Islamic extremists over the reprinting of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons which depict satirical Criticism of Islam.[19] However, it has been suggested by some Pakistani vigilante web sites and electoral process watchdog groups that the block was imposed largely to distract viewers from videos alleging vote-rigging by the ruling MQM party in the recently concluded general elections. Allegations of suppressing vote-rigging videos by the Musharraf administration are also being leveled by Pakistani bloggers, newspapers, media, and Pakistani anti-Musharraf opposition parties.

On February 26, 2007, the ban was lifted after the website had removed the objectionable content from its servers at the request of the government.[21]

On 20 May 2010, on Everybody Draw Mohammed Day Pakistan again blocked the website in a bid to contain "blasphemous" material.[22]

On May 31, 2010, the ban was lifted after the website had removed the objectionable content from its servers at the request of the government.[citation needed]

China People's Republic of China

See also: Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China

YouTube was blocked in the People's Republic of China, beginning on 15 October 2007[23], but later became unblocked.[24]

However, due to it carrying video of soldiers beating monks and other Tibetans, YouTube has been blocked in Mainland China since 24 March 2009.[25]

As of February 2010, YouTube is still being blocked in China.

Russia Russia

See also: Censorship in Russia

The video claiming responsibility for the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings, which claimed 800,000 viewers in four days, was removed, along with all videos of Doku Umarov. Additionaly, it turned out that over 300 videos from the Kavkaz Center were removed because of having "inappropriate content." Russia was blamed for having pressured Youtube to take such measuers.[26]

Thailand Thailand

See also: Bhumibol_Adulyadej § Internet-based insults

In 2006, Thailand blocked access to YouTube for users with Thai IP addresses. Thai authorities identified 20 offensive videos and demanded that Google remove them before it would allow unblocking of all YouTube content.[27]

During the week of March 8, 2007, YouTube was blocked in Thailand.[28] Many bloggers believed the reason for the blocking was a posted video of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's speech on CNN. The government did not confirm or provide reasons for the ban. YouTube became accessible again on March 10, 2007.

On the night of April 3, 2007, YouTube was again blocked in Thailand.[29] The government cited a video on the site that it called "insulting" to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.[30][31] However, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology claimed that it would unblock YouTube in a few days, after websites containing references to this video are blocked instead of the entire website.[32] Communications Minister Sitthichai Pokai-udom said, "When they decide to withdraw the clip, we will withdraw the ban."[33] Shortly after this incident the internet technology blog Mashable was blocked from Thailand over the reporting of the YouTube clips in question.[34] YouTube was unblocked on August 30, 2007, after YouTube reportedly agreed to block videos deemed offensive by Thai authorities.[35]

On September 21, 2007, Thai authorities announced they were seeking a court order to block videos that had recently appeared on YouTube accusing Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda of attempting to manipulate the royal succession to make himself Thailand's king.[36]

Tunisia Tunisia

YouTube has been blocked in Tunisia since at least November 2, 2007, with a forged HTTP 404 error message appearing instead.[37] The reasons for such an action are not immediately known, and no explanations have been given. YouTube is the second video site to display such messages.

Turkey Turkey

This screen welcomed visitors from Turkey
The error message that users get that started on May 5, 2008 and is still showing as of today.

Turkish courts have banned YouTube several times since March 2007 (the first ban taking place between March 6 and March 9 of 2007) and thus users in Turkey could not access the site. As of May 16, 2010, the website is not accessible from Turkey.

Türk Telekom first blocked YouTube in compliance with decision 2007/384 issued by the Istanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace (Sulh Ceza Mahkeme) on 6 March 2007. The court decision was based on videos insulting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in an escalation of what the Turkish media referred to as a "virtual war" of insults between Greeks and Turks youtube members on the website post video said the others gay or mad.[38][39][27][40] YouTube was sued for "insulting Turkishness"[41] and access to the site was suspended pending the removal of the video. YouTube lawyers sent proof of the video's removal to the Istanbul public prosecutor and access was restored on March 9, 2007.[42] However, other videos similarly deemed insulting were repeatedly posted, and several staggered bans followed, issued by different courts:

  • the Sivas 2nd Criminal Court of Peace on 18 September 2007 and again (by decision 2008/11) on 16 January 2008;
  • the Ankara 12th Criminal Court of Peace on 17 January 2008 (decision 2008/55);[43]
  • the Ankara 1st Criminal Court of Peace on 12 March 2008 (decision 2008/251);
  • the Ankara 11th Criminal Court of Peace on 24 April 2008 (decision 2008/468).
  • the Ankara 5th Criminal Court of Peace on 30 April 2008 (decision 2008/599);
  • again, the Ankara 1st Criminal Court of Peace on 5 May 2008 (decision 2008/402);
  • again, the Ankara 11th Criminal Court of Peace on 6 June 2008 (decision 2008/624).

The block in accordance with court decision 2008/468 of the Ankara 11th Criminal Court of Peace issued on April 24, 2008, which cited that YouTube had not acquired a certificate of authorisation in Turkey, was not implemented by Türk Telekom until May 5, 2008.

Although YouTube is officially banned, the website is still accessible by modifying connection parameters to use alternative DNS servers, and it is still the ninth most popular website in Turkey according to Alexa records. Responding to criticisms of the courts' bans, the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has famously stated "I do access the site. Go ahead and do the same." in November 2008.[44]

In June 2010, Turkey's president Abdullah Gül used his Twitter account to express disapproval of the country's blocking of YouTube, which also affects access from Turkey to many Google services. Gül said he had instructed officials to find legal ways of allowing access.[45]

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan

On December 25, 2009, YouTube was blocked in Turkmenistan by the only ISP Turkmentelecom. Other web-sites such as LiveJournal were blocked, too.[46]

United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

The UAE's telecom regulatory authority blocked YouTube in August 2006, with the Etisalat ISP in the UAE citing "presence of adult content on the website which is clearly against the religious, cultural, political and moral values of the UAE".[47] Etisalat unblocked Youtube a month later.[48]

See also

References

  1. ^ But if you are in school it still won't "Microsoft Starts Blocking YouTube Links From Being Shared On MSN And Windows Live Messenger". BETA Daily. 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2008-05-10. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ http://www.sltrib.com/Utah/ci_12696857
  3. ^ Total Security - O Seu Portal de Segurança
  4. ^ Radio Fandango - Cachoeira do sul - À VOZ DA CIDADE
  5. ^ Justiça determina liberação do YouTube - Terra - Internet
  6. ^ "Bangladesh imposes YouTube block". BBC News. March 9, 2009.
  7. ^ "Indonesia Seeks to Block YouTube Over Anti-Koran Film". The New York Times. April 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
  8. ^ "Menkominfo 'Ultimatum' ISP Blokir YouTube". detik.com (in Indonesian language). April 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  9. ^ "YouTube Terblokir karena 'Ulah' Satu ISP". detik.com (in Indonesian language). April 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  10. ^ "Speedy Blokir 7 Situs, Pengusaha Kecil Mulai Menjerit!". detik.com (in Indonesian language). April 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  11. ^ Indonesia restores access to YouTube Web site
  12. ^ Tait, Robert (November 4, 2006). "Censorship fears rise as Iran blocks access to top websites". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  13. ^ "Mobile phones, Facebook, YouTube cut in Iran". July 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  14. ^ Watchdog urges Libya to stop blocking websites, AFP 04-02-2010
  15. ^ "Morocco blocks access to YouTube". globalvoicesonline.org. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  16. ^ "YouTube again accessible via Maroc Telecom". rsf.org. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  17. ^ "Access to YouTube blocked until further notice because of "non-Islamic" videos", at Reporters Without Borders.
  18. ^ Pakistan blocks YouTube website
  19. ^ a b Pakistan blocks YouTube for 'blasphemous' content: officials, Yahoo News[dead link]
  20. ^ "Pakistan move knocked out YouTube", CNN, February 25, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
  21. ^ "Pakistan lifts YouTube ban". ABC News. 2007-02-26. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  22. ^ Walsh, Declan (May 20, 2010). "Pakistan blocks YouTube access over Muhammad depictions". Guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  23. ^ Schwankert, Steven. "YouTube blocked in China; Flickr, Blogspot restored", IDG News, October 18, 2007. Retrieved on March 3, 2008
  24. ^ Graham Webster (2008-03-22). "YouTube unblocked in China, but could Google have cooperated?". cnet news.
  25. ^ Quentin Sommerville (March 24, 2009). "China 'blocks YouTube video site'". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  26. ^ http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/04/05/11793.shtml
  27. ^ a b Rosen, Jeffrey (2008). "Google's Gatekeepers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-01. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  28. ^ "YouTube seems blocked in Thailand 2bangkok.com". March 10, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  29. ^ "YouTube Blocked Again". April 4, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  30. ^ Two more clips mocking Thai king appear on YouTube
  31. ^ n:Thailand bans YouTube over videos insulting king
  32. ^ "YouTube to help block web access to pages insulting King". April 7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)[dead link]
  33. ^ "Whose Tube?". The Economist. 2004-04-14. p. 71. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  34. ^ Cashmore, Pete (2004-04-18). "Mashable.com Banned in Thailand". Mashable.
  35. ^ "Ban on YouTube lifted after deal". The Nation. 2007-08-31. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  36. ^ AFP: Thailand wants to block more YouTube video clips
  37. ^ Ben Gharbia, Sami (2007-11-02). "Tunisia: is Youtube blocked?".
  38. ^ News Politics
  39. ^ [1]
  40. ^ "Turkey pulls plug on YouTube over Ataturk 'insults'". The Guardian. London. March 7, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  41. ^ "Turkey bans YouTube". March 8, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  42. ^ "Turkey revokes YouTube ban". March 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
  43. ^ "YouTube banned in Turkey once again". Wikinews. 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2008-12-13. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  44. ^ http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/466693.asp
  45. ^ "Turkish president uses Twitter to condemn YouTube ban". The Guardian. Associated Press, Ankara office. June 11, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  46. ^ "Turkmenistan: YouTube and LiveJournal are blocked". December 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  47. ^ Wade, Matthew. YouTube block remains. ITP.net: August 17, 2006.
  48. ^ http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com/2006/09/youtube-unblocked.html
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