Codebreaker

Facebook and Google remove “offensive” content in India

John Moe Feb 6, 2012

Countries have borders. The Internet doesn’t. Not really. And that makes for some bumpy situations because whereas countries have laws, the Internet is reflexively prone to freedom.
Facebook and Google are among 21 companies accused by the government of India of hosting offensive material and so far it appears that they are the only two who have already scrubbed the content, which is described by the BBC of being intolerant of religious sentiment. Other companies like Yahoo and Microsoft are still evaluating the request.
It’s an interesting test case to see how censorship will work in a country as large as India, especially because the scope of the censorship is not as enormous as what it might be in China. This particular case lets you drill down into finer points. 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.