YouTube: pointless ban
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ON the issue of the blockade placed on access to YouTube, the poet’s words regarding “decisions and revisions that a minute will reverse” come to mind.
It has been three years since access to the site from within Pakistan was curtailed, following a furore in the Muslim world caused by a certain mischief-making film trailer.
Back then, it was promised that some way of filtering content, or getting YouTube’s parent company, Google, to do this, would be found.
Also read: Senate body seeks legislation to lift YouTube ban
Since then, though, the matter has been reduced to the level of farce. Various government functionaries have promised solutions, but nothing has happened. The superior courts have used their time to puzzle over the problem, all to naught.
On May 6 last year, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution to lift the blockade; and on Tuesday, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology also directed that YouTube be unblocked.
Will this be enough to see the ban lifted? Citizens are justifiably wondering what it will take, or at what level a consensus could be reached, to reverse one of the most ridiculous bans slapped by the state?
It is an open secret that the blockade is pointless, given that there are several methods through which the ban can and is being bypassed.
Indeed, submitting the resolution last year to the National Assembly, MNA Shazia Marri noted that people were using proxy servers.
Are we to understand, then, that the ban remains because its lobby group has fallen silent?
The government needs to own up to the fact that open access to the internet, especially those sites that are used for research and educational purposes, is the citizenry’s right.
It will never be possible to entirely control the flow of online content, and the attempt to do so is futile. A much better route would be to educate the populace on surfing safely.
It is high time that the YouTube ban was lifted, as the Senate standing committee has directed.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015
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Comments (37) Closed
Sep 17, 2015 01:32am
Banning Youtube simply doesn't make any sense. When all countries are rapidly advancing with social media, its not good to see Pakistan trailing behind
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Sep 17, 2015 07:37am
Why it is pointless and why every one wants to lift the ban on a company's website that thinks itself above the law of sovereign state ? Would Google dare not comply with court orders of any western state? Please enlighten I am all ears !
There is something called pride, do we have any as a state.
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Sep 17, 2015 07:53am
Thank you Dawn to support the resolution to lift the ban on You Tube. You Tube is an excellent source to search video contents on any subject, including emerging technologies, sciences, lectures of prominent scholars and of course the entertainment. Internet is a sea of good and bad, but mostly good, and You Tube is the most important resource of that sea. Internet is also beyond the capability of any type of censorship.
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Sep 17, 2015 08:10am
YouTube ban is here to stay.
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Sep 17, 2015 08:13am
The ban is absolutely useless while people are using proxies. Secondly, there is an apps in Google Chrome name "Browsec"...just go to Extensions then Get more extensions, search Browsec and add in chrome...its simple...!!
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Sep 17, 2015 08:17am
youtube is a known source of knowledge and entertainment. It is like a world where all kind of people and activities happen. If one indiviual does a mschief, shall we stop living in the world? This stupid ban is causing a lot of harm to the youth who seek knowledge and learn new technology. Lift the ban for the sake of Pakistani students at least. Ignore the material you dont like and watch that is useful. period.
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Sep 17, 2015 08:29am
@Muhammad Irfan what about using it in Tablet or Ipad ?
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Sep 17, 2015 08:36am
Youtube is banned , Nishat cinema and Prince Cinema was burnt in Karachi, withhold taxes were imposed on net users causing disappointment for net users.As a nation, what options we are left with ? Its high time that the government should shun this absurd decision to ban YouTube.
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Sep 17, 2015 08:39am
Our Senate has so much time to decide a website ban? seriously? there so much important issues in Pakistan to solve then meet on Youtube? Just unblock and move on
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Sep 17, 2015 08:47am
WE can still access Youtube using proxy sites . So whats the use of banning it.
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Sep 17, 2015 08:48am
@Rashid Its simple bro, if you have Tablet or Ipad then I think you have to install Goolge Chrome first. Then go to Setting-Extensions-Get more extensions-Search (in search box type Browsec) you will see a Blue Color Globe...just click and add it in your chrome...after that you will be able to open the YouTube...!!
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Sep 17, 2015 08:56am
What is so useful about you tube....the youth are wasting their time on you tube and facebook....
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Sep 17, 2015 08:58am
@iftikhar also City Auditorium of Cinepax Cinema was closed abrubtly, the only cinema in Central zone.
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Sep 17, 2015 09:16am
Pity on the authorities! They still believe that youtube is banned in Pakistan
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Sep 17, 2015 09:26am
For a change, the NA and the Senate have stood by the right of the people to access information freely on the internet. Why the government has not lifted the Ban on YouTube? In day and age, the government needs to get with the program
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Sep 17, 2015 09:40am
the ban must be implemented , and people accessing youtube should be fined,
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Sep 17, 2015 09:58am
@akil altar
Please do not advertise your ignorance. Have you looked up the sheer range of informational and educational material in YouTube. I learn something from YouTube everyday. This ban is meaningless in a relatively open society like Pakistan. Next you are going to blame the Internet.
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Sep 17, 2015 10:31am
YouTube is like the rest of the Internet. It has the good and the bad. We don't ban all of Internet do we? Banning large scale services, because you don't like something on it, is sheer stupidity.
How do people access thousands of Khan Academy's free and educational videos?
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Sep 17, 2015 11:00am
If youtube opens people will have access to myriad corruption stories, that they will share on social media, whats app with greater ease.
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Sep 17, 2015 11:03am
@mirza Yes you are right in SAUDI many sides is block but all person used proxy for opening block side so why you are blocking if we not block it to many person open it and if we block it some person will only open it
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Sep 17, 2015 11:19am
It might interest you, if everyone dont face any difficulty accessing youtube and is comfortable with it even if it is blocked then why public in general emphasize government to lift the ban ?
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Sep 17, 2015 11:25am
such a shame that our Government has closed the doors for information seekers, even the people has forgot the incidence happened which reasoned the blockage of Youtube...Nonetheless all of the Android Phones are built in proxy enabled for Youtube...
:-O
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Sep 17, 2015 11:28am
Only Youtube desktop version is banned. Youtube app on android smart phones is working without any proxy.
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Sep 17, 2015 11:48am
@Abdul Rehman true
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Sep 17, 2015 01:38pm
It is a useless ban but try telling that to PMLN
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Sep 17, 2015 02:59pm
@Akil Akhtar
you can learn to programming skills on you tube, plumbing skills, cooking skills in fact any kind of skills are available.
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Sep 17, 2015 03:57pm
This also raises a question on many of our universities and institutions which used to have their own channel on YouTube to share the educational and continuous professional development related content. After the site was banned in Pakistan none of those institutes provided any alternate or approached government for lifting the ban or facilitating with an alternate source. This shows how serious our universities and institutions take the broader concepts of educational research, continuous development and communication. an obvious reason why we do not have high ranking institutions as yet!
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Sep 17, 2015 04:02pm
You know people, this ban is good in a way. The more you ban it, the more people will go towards it. Just get a better internet connection and use proxies or browser add-ons etc. But I agree, this is a tactic to keep the people ignorant and backwards. The world has gained tremendously from youtube.
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Sep 17, 2015 06:31pm
All that glitters is not gold. If I was still in my youth, as a young passionate guy I would whole heartedly advocate / support the movement of not banning social media. I would consider banning youtube as an output of a backward and close minded mentality.
However, now I differ in my opinions, after I see human race glued to their smart phones in the west. The amount of productive time that we are losing entertaining ourselves is huge. This time could be spent in physical activities, education, and other productive efforts. Facebook would be proud that an average user spends 75 minutes per day browsing its pages.
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Sep 17, 2015 06:52pm
Epitomizes the state's mind set. Why even bother even having the internet, let the viewer decide. Did banning the Youtube make Pakistan any better in any way?
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Sep 17, 2015 08:20pm
@Common man Simple ,If u can't beat them, join them.
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Sep 17, 2015 09:15pm
@John B Changes occur with every passing day .It doesn't matter if you like it or not. We just can't live in the past . Have a look @ the positive side of internet. It's not all porn & hate propaganda. It's an ocean of information. You only have to use it sensibly .
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Sep 17, 2015 11:44pm
There are videos of Qaide Azam on Youtube where in he says and I quote "We dont need capitalism, we dont need socialism, we dont need communism..All we need is Islam"
And this has authorities worried and hence they banned it. If they open the Youtube, people will get to know the truth about pakistan
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Sep 18, 2015 11:47am
Rightly said. What about the new cyber crimes thing that is made to curtail freedom instead of curbing wrong doing.
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Sep 18, 2015 11:51am
@Concerned the use of youtube through proxy is more dangerous for our youth. The sovereign of state mantra is laughable in the context of youtube. Do you think sovereignty of a state simply rests in banning youtube?
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Sep 18, 2015 02:35pm
It only gives Pakistan a bad name internationally as a country stifling access to information and unfettered access to information to be able to make informed judgements...
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Sep 18, 2015 08:31pm
Dithering, indecision, delays, so on ,are symptom of lack of leadership . And unwillingness to take the responsibility. . Without courage vision becomes a mirage. Wither Pakistan ?
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