Pakistan blocks Twitter because of 'offensive material'

[Jack]

Pakistani authorities have blocked access to the social media website Twitter because of messages they say are offensive to Islam.

They talked of "blasphemous and inflammatory" material although it is not clear exactly what the tweets said.

Some officials mentioned a 2010 Facebook competition involving pictures of the Prophet Muhammad, considered blasphemous by Muslims.

At that time access to about 1,000 websites was blocked.

The ban in 2010 lasted for around a fortnight until Facebook blocked access to the controversial page in Pakistan.

The new ban on Twitter comes just hours after Pakistan's Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, said there were no plans to block access to the site.

The Indian news agency PTI reported a tweet sent by Mr Malik: "Dear all, I assure u that Twitter and FB will continue in our country and it will not be blocked. Pl do not believe in rumors," it said.

But the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, Mohammed Yaseen, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency: "We have been negotiating with them (Twitter) until last night, but they did not agree to remove the stuff, so we had to block it.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18138278

 

[HeffeD]

You would think they would have learned by now that blocking something isn't going to make it go away.

If they truly feel that this content is harmful to to their religion and must be blocked so its population can't view it, then perhaps their religion isn't as strong as they think it is. Further repressing a culture is doing nothing to build trust in the populous.

 

[WinAndLinuxTutorials]

I blocked twitter using OpenDNS becasue my sister keeps talking all the time about justin bieber. But that lasted until my 'friend' told his sister and she told my sister about it.

 

[pcjunklist]

I would happily give up the use of twitter if I never had to hear about the Kardashian's again!

 

[HeffeD]

I would happily give up the use of twitter if I never had to hear about the Kardashian's again!

I don't use twitter, but I would love to never hear anything about the Kardashian's ever again. Paris Hilton as well...

 

[Spirit]

I would happily give up the use of twitter if I never had to hear about the Kardashian's again!

I don't use twitter, but I would love to never hear anything about the Kardashian's ever again. Paris Hilton as well...

You can be a great Political leader

 

[Deleted member 178]

I don't use twitter, but I would love to never hear anything about the Kardashian's ever again. Paris Hilton as well...

You are right, i also don't want to HEAR about them, but i am not opposed to SEE their new "tape"

 

[malbky]

India has no official policy regarding internet site blocking and monitoring. We cant be even sure someone is not watching our conversation as Supreme Court had legalized monitoring of ppl for intelligence gathering. Also recently dailymotion and piratebay were blocked by all major isps as per SC order.

 

[McLovin]

It happens, they don't want anyone going to anything. They want control over everything.