Pakistan Hasn't Banned Facebook Yet... But It Might Soon

from the overreact-much? dept

Wed, May 18th 2011 1:09am — Mike Masnick

Last year, we reported on an attempt to ban Facebook throughout all of Pakistan, due to a group on the site that some Muslims found offensive (the group was supporting an "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" following a controversy on that subject). It seemed positively silly to ban an entire site based on how one small group of people used that site, but we've seen it happen in a number of countries. Apparently there was a ruling on this that was made back in February, but was just released, which, while sympathetic to the idea of banning Facebook, decided not to issue the ban. Of course, the EFF report on this also notes that a new petition to ban Facebook is going to be heard later this week anyway, so there will be yet another chance to completely block the site due to how a few folks used it. That original post from last year got a bunch of comments from Pakistan defending the idea of blocking Facebook, but I'm still at a loss to see how it makes sense to block an entire site over a single particular use.

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Filed Under: blocks, pakistan
Companies: facebook

11 Comments

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jakerome (profile), 18 May 2011 @ 1:12am

Seems consistent with proposed US policy
If the American website is breaking Pakistani laws, seems that an IP ban by Pakistan is about right. In principle, not all that different from clumsy American attempts to ban foreign domains that violate our laws. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, right?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 May 2011 @ 1:45am

I don't know either, Mike, let's ask the ICE!
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Rikuo (profile), 18 May 2011 @ 2:08am

How does Pakistan know that this group drew an actual picture of Mohammed? They don't have pictures themselves, so for all they know, it's some random Pakistani man with a beard and a turban.
Hang on...why the ban on pictures? I can somewhat understand if it was a ban on pictures of God, seeing as "oh he's divine and its against divine law to worship lowly pictures of him drawn by man" but wasn't Mohammed considered a man and just a man? (I know, God's last prophet apparently) so...are they now equating this man with God? I thought Islam was against that!
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William, 18 May 2011 @ 2:21am

Re: Seems consistent with proposed US policy
And last I looked, Mike doesn't support that either. So it seems like a consistently bad policy, regardless of whether or not the US does it.
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G Thompson (profile), 18 May 2011 @ 2:29am

Soon even Facebook will be banned because the worlds Defender of Democracy the USA says that any website that breaks USA law can be banned, so going by the exulted leadership of the USA other countries will have to follow suit.

Soon a cry will go out via SMS everywhere.. a cry of loss, a cry to save them from the perils of boredom, a cry to bring back the social platform of their dreams.

Please somebody.. before it's too late

THINK OF THE TEENAGERS!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 May 2011 @ 6:13am

Re:
They're Muslims, does anything they do make sense?
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The Devil's Coachman (profile), 18 May 2011 @ 6:56am

Pakistan! What a country! Or is it a country?
Actually, it seems to be more of a cesspool, filled to overflowing with fundamentalist turd morons who screech and wail and slash and burn with little or no provocation. Therefore, who the hell cares what they do within the confines of their own sewer? Not me, for sure. Go ahead. Ban Facebook, Google, CNN, Twitter, and anything else that offends the permanently offended denizens of that hellhole. They can also burn bibles, flags, and each other if it gives them a thrill. It means nothing to the rest of the world. Nothing whatsoever.
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Ed (profile), 18 May 2011 @ 7:14am

Re: Pakistan! What a country! Or is it a country?
For a moment I was unsure if you were referring to Pakistan or one of a few Southern US states. ;-)
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Dave Uh... Smith (profile), 18 May 2011 @ 7:58pm

tunnelvision
I think you're suffering from a bit of tunnelvision because stupid insane use of copyright laws is a huge informative part of this site.

Facebook is used by the revolutionaries to organize all around the Arabic speaking world. I'm currently working in Saudi Arabia and this world is falling apart, country after country. I think that has far more to do with banning FB than people drawing pictures.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:11pm

Re: Re: Pakistan! What a country! Or is it a country?
I still can't figure out which he was talking about, seems all of that would fit both quite well.
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lrobbo (profile), 12 Jun 2012 @ 10:14am

I wish they'd block it in the UK too . . .
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