It's been three years, but YouTube and Pakistan are hanging out again

[dkpope]

YouTube is back in Pakistan after three years – or at least a version of the video streaming service is back. Reuters reports that a localized version of YouTube that allows the government to remove offensive material launched last week.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority banned YouTube in 2012 after an anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslims, was posted. In the Reuters article, the PTA said, "Google has provided an online web process through which requests for blocking access of the offending material can be made by PTA to Google directly and Google/YouTube will accordingly restrict access to the said offending material for users within Pakistan." With the localized version, the PTA can get in contact with Google to handle content they deem offensive.

There are already localized YouTube sites for Nepal and Sri Lanka, and like those sites, Pakistan’s YouTube will highlight the work of local artists. And while Pakistani citizens will be missing the full YouTube experience, a localized version is better than no YouTube at all.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/63508-three-years-but-youtube-pakistan-hanging-out-again.html

 

[Adhmuz]

There's so much that can be said about this but it's going to offend way to many people so I'll keep it to myself. What can be said is this, this is not progress, this is hardly a step in the right direction. I would even argue a censored version of YouTube is no better than no YouTube at all, what's the point if some antiquated individual gets to decide what you can and can't be watching based on what exactly? Damn it, gotta stop there.