India: Court threatens Facebook, Google with censorship “like China”

13 Jan 12 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost

The Delhi High Court has threatened Facebook and Google with web blackouts, unless they agree to censor objectionable content. Following last month’s meetings between Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook and the Indian government to discuss content management on their sites, Justice Suresh Kait warned that if the internet giants refuse to filter content, their websites will be blocked “like China“. Mukul Rohatgi who testified on behalf of Google India said that the search giant cannot filter “obscene, objectionable and defamatory” content.

India asks Google, Facebook to screen user content

06 Dec 11 | Index Index, minipost

The Indian Government have asked internet companies and social media organisations to censor internet content before it goes online. India’s acting telecommunications minister Kapil Sibal met with top officials from the Indian units of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook on Monday to discuss implementing the removal of disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content before being published online.

Three un-named executives of Internet companies were told in a previous meeting that Sibal expected them to set up a proactive pre-screening system using people, not technology.