Indian Judge Tells Google And Facebook To 'Check And Remove Objectionable Material' Or Be Blocked

from the do-the-impossible dept

Fri, Jan 13th 2012 12:20pm — Glyn Moody

A few weeks back, Techdirt reported on an Indian minister asking Internet companies to do the impossible:

The Indian government has asked Internet companies and social media sites like Facebook to prescreen user content from India and to remove disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content before it goes online, three executives in the information technology industry say.

At the time, you could dismiss this as just the usual grandstanding by a politician trying to score points with the home audience. It now seems that things are much more serious than that. koolhead17 sends us news that an Indian High Court judge is not only asking for pretty much the same impossible things, but threatening to block sites "like in China" if they don't: The Delhi high court today warned social networking site Facebook India and search engine Google India that websites can be "blocked" like in China if they fail to devise a mechanism to check and remove objectionable material from their web pages. "Like China, we will block all such websites," Justice Suresh Kait said while asking counsel for Facebook and Google India to develop a mechanism to keep a check and remove "offensive and objectionable" material from their web pages.
Worryingly, this lack of comprehension about what is technically possible is not confined to India, as the debates around SOPA have revealed only too painfully.

Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: blocking, india, objectional material
Companies: facebook, google

48 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Mesonoxian Eve (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:24pm

Well, there goes the website for the Indian government.

Definitely objectionable material.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:29pm

"If the US and China jumped off a bridge......"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:34pm

Re:
THEY DID? I AM SO THERE.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:37pm

So Google and Facebook are forced to save all your posts/updates to a page and read it before it's officially posted on the Internet, is that really so bad? How long could it possibly tale two gigantic Internet companies to do that? The Internet only has like a billion users, that shouldn't be a big deal.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Rikuo (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:38pm

What exactly happens when this judge is told that his order cannot physically be performed, that its impossible? You can't vet the entire internet for content using such a vague metric as "objectionable and offensive".
[ link to this | view in thread ]
anonymous, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:38pm

instead of keep trying to please all these idiots, why doesn't Google just pull out from the countries (and that includes the US) that moan about it so much? if the whole company upped sticks to somewhere else that appreciated what they had and the revenue it brought, how long before these moaners would start again because they had moved? never satisfied!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:39pm

So Google and Facebook are forced to save all your posts/updates to a page and read it before it's officially posted on the Internet, is that really so bad? How long could it possibly tale two gigantic Internet companies to do that? The Internet only has like a billion users, that shouldn't be a big deal.

[Sent: 1/13/2010, 3:34 PM]
[This post was pre-screened and approved by Google: 1/13/2012, 3:34 PM]

(Sorry for double post, the last & most important part of this stupid post didn't show up in my previous one)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DannyB (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:41pm

Re:
I've thought that before also. Especially when some small country does it. Maybe Google, Yahoo, et all should just say, okay, bye.

Then see what the reaction is.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Machin Shin (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:41pm

I really think it is about time for some of the mega companies like Google to just throw their full weight around. They need to just put out an announcement to all the governments stating that if they keep regulating things they do not understand then the internet will fail. As a demonstration Google could then fully shutdown every server they own for a day.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Designerfx (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:42pm

Re:
oh cmon now, it's not just all those users. It's all of their content as well.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
MAJikMARCer (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:54pm

How the Internet works
Do these people not understand how the Internet works? If they diminish Google and/or Facebook to the point that they are heavily censored, then some other site is going to pop up, and then another and another. That's the beauty of the Internet. Short of completely taking it down, and I very much doubt that is possible these days, I don't see how these people really think they can stop expression on the Internet.

If it wasn't so scary/dangerous, it would be funny how the powers that be are scurrying around like cockroaches now that their corruption can be so easily exposed to everyone.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jason, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:58pm

Re:
I agree that Google needs to throw its weight around.

I really want Google to execute a hostile takeover of a record company.

I'd get a big bag of popcorn out to watch that show.

The record companies are so poorly run that I would only imagine the remaining ones would be able to survive 1, maybe 2, years with Google competing against them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 12:59pm

Re: How the Internet works
No, they don't understand how the internet works.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:00pm

SOPA goes to Dehli? Just change a couple words:

The Delhi high court today warned social networking site Facebook India and search engine Google India that websites can be "blocked" like in China if they fail to devise a mechanism to check and remove *copyrighted* material from their web pages. "Like China, we will block all such websites," Justice Suresh Kait said while asking counsel for Facebook and Google India to develop a mechanism to keep a check and remove "*infringing" material from their web pages.

And then SOPA comes to America; change 5 words:

The Washington high court today warned social networking site Facebook and search engine Google that websites can be "blocked" like in China if they fail to devise a mechanism to check and remove *copyrighted* material from their web pages. "Like China, we will block all such websites," Justice R. I. AA. said while asking counsel for Facebook and Google to develop a mechanism to keep a check and remove "*infringing*" material from their web pages.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
V (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:04pm

Sad testimant to India
I find this idiot judge's ruling both objectionable and offensive... Google and Facebook... please remove it...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Arthur (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:07pm

Since when
Since when did China's draconian suppression of free speech become an example to be emulated by others? We certainly do live in interesting times.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DirtyMouthedVixen, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:09pm

More control
I wonder how much the judge is being paid off to try and enforce these laws. Government control. Bring down Google and Facebook and restore government control expression. Handing out the numbered jumpsuits to the population is next.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:12pm

call their bluff
I would just call their bluff. If you want to block the two biggest sites on the net, go for it and see how long you stay in office.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:13pm

Re:
I may be wrong, but isn't there a large portion of Google employees in India? If Google shuts down in India, will they also pull out their employees, or at least their development or other contracts? What would be the economic impact of closing Google down in India?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
New Mexico Mark, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:14pm

India tech support after Google and Facebook removal...
Hello, my name is... Bob, how can I help you?

(a couple of minutes into the call)

I am sorry but I cannot seem to find the answer to your question. Would you like to talk about the weather instead?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
:Lobo Santo (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:15pm

Re: Since when
Isn't "May you live in interesting times" supposed to be a potent curse?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:22pm

Waaaait a minute. www.google.com and www.facebook.com seems purty clean to me.
mebe they should just fax him screenshots of their front pages and say "job done".
[ link to this | view in thread ]
mike allen (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:32pm

Google should stand up for its users there are other search engines and facebook is not much better.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Marcus Carab (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:41pm

Re: Re: Since when
Yup. I always see it cited as "Ancient Chinese Curse" which is not particularly descriptive, but at least the curse part is probably accurate...

It's like the opposite of "no news is good news"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Digitari, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:42pm

RE
Didn't something like this happen before? I swear that a company Sued google for showing a news story and asked to be censored. then said sorry can we be uncensored google, Please

Google censor India, Please

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110718/16394915157/belgian-newspapers-give-permission-t o-google-to-return-them-to-search-results.shtml
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:43pm

If Google and Facebook comply, I will cease to use them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ASTROBOI, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:43pm

Free India
I remember being taught, as a little kid, how the freedom loving Indians kicked out the nasty British and Gahndi laid down on the railroad tracks in his nightshirt that he made himself and how wonderful all this stuff was. And now India wants to be "like China" while their citizens make big salaries as telemarketers and phone scammers. Oh well.....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
AzureSky (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:44pm

if i was google/facebook, i would just block india with a message explaining that their govt dosnt want them using facebook/google....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ilfar, 13 Jan 2012 @ 1:51pm

Re:
I have a spare room Google could rent over here...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:16pm

Re:
8 years of footage uploaded to YouTube every day? Yeah, manually checking the copyright status of each and every frame of that, both audio and video, would be a snap.

Let's see, 365.25 days in a year, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute, 30 frames per second, assuming it takes about an hour on average to find the copyright info for anything visible or audible during each frame, and an eight-hour workday with weekends off... Google would need to hire about 5.4 billion new employees to handle the workload for YouTube alone.
Now that's job creation!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
el_segfaulto (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:57pm

Re:
There would be two fewer oppressive regimes in the world?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Bergman (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:01pm

Re:
Simple: Whoever tells the judge that goes to prison for contempt of court, and will be released only when they comply with the judge's order.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:06pm

Re: Re:
Damnit Timmy!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Bergman (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:07pm

Re:
Well, since determining whether something is objectionable is something only a human can do using current technology, odds are your post would be approved sometime in 2147, not 2012.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jk News on Google Facebook, 14 Jan 2012 @ 3:00am

Google Facebook ban in India
I'm surprised by this. Ironically, things like pornography and other cyber crimes don't seem to go against the "ethnic" and "religious" culture of India, but obscene pictures of goddesses and politicians seem to be an issue of concern for the government. Barring sights like google and facebook, like China, means withdrawing the freedom of expression from many Indians. Would India then, still be worth calling the "world's largest democracy"?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Dave P, 14 Jan 2012 @ 5:08am

Techically incompetent judge - again!.
Google and the like will doubtless employ the whole planet to sit down 24/7 to filter results! What a ludicrous ruling, borne out of complete and utter ignorance of how the net works and just how large it is.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 14 Jan 2012 @ 7:04am

You in heap big trouble now, paleface.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2012 @ 8:10am

Re: Re:
Got Febreze?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Stone cold pete 316, 28 Jan 2012 @ 7:19pm

Please read
I disagree Mr. designer fx itis not all of our users fault or the content or what we are putting on the Internet at all
[ link to this | view in thread ]
u.udaybabu shetty, 1 Apr 2012 @ 11:23am

you see just uudaybabu fecebook knwo more love question i laike indian grls/krnataka fecebook/uudaybabu
like
[ link to this | view in thread ]
uudaybabu, 1 Apr 2012 @ 11:33am

Re: you see just uudaybabu fecebook knwo more love question i laike indian grls/krnataka fecebook/uudaybabu
like
[ link to this | view in thread ]
uudaybabu, 1 Apr 2012 @ 11:34am

Re: you see just uudaybabu fecebook knwo more love question i laike indian grls/krnataka fecebook/uudaybabu
like
[ link to this | view in thread ]
s.fb.com, 1 Apr 2012 @ 11:52am

you leike uudaybabu just clik hre
like
[ link to this | view in thread ]
s.fb.com, 1 Apr 2012 @ 11:54am

you leike uudaybabu just clik hre
like
[ link to this | view in thread ]
fecebook/uudaybabu, 2 Apr 2012 @ 11:42am

i love you indian karnataka engage grls
like 4
[ link to this | view in thread ]
fecebook/uudaybabu, 2 Apr 2012 @ 11:44am

i love you indian karnataka engage grls
like 4
[ link to this | view in thread ]
uudaybabu@gmail.com, 8 Apr 2012 @ 11:30am

laike.g
[ link to this | view in thread ]
lrobbo (profile), 7 Jun 2012 @ 9:38am

Good to luck to them enforcing this one . . .
[ link to this | view in thread ]