Google, Facebook and Twitter Threaten To Leave Pakistan Over Censorship Law (techcrunch.com) 37
Global internet companies Facebook, Google and Twitter and others have banded together and threatened to leave Pakistan after the South Asian nation granted blanket powers to local regulators to censor digital content. From a report: Earlier this week, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan granted the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority the power to remove and block digital content that pose "harms, intimidates or excites disaffection" toward the government or in other ways hurt the "integrity, security, and defence of Pakistan." Through a group called the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), the tech firms said that they were "alarmed" by the scope of Pakistan's new law targeting internet firms." In addition to Facebook, Google, and Twitter, AIC represents Apple, Amazon, LinkedIn, SAP, Expedia Group, Yahoo, Airbnb, Grab, Rakuten, Booking.com, Line, and Cloudflare.
If the message sounds familiar, it's because this is not the first time these tech giants have publicly expressed their concerns over the new law, which was proposed by Khan's ministry in February this year. After the Pakistani government made the proposal earlier this year, the group had threatened to leave, a move that made the nation retreat and promise an extensive and broad-based consultation process with civil society and tech companies. That consultation never happened, AIC said in a statement on Thursday, reiterating that its members will be unable to operate in the country with this law in place.
If the message sounds familiar, it's because this is not the first time these tech giants have publicly expressed their concerns over the new law, which was proposed by Khan's ministry in February this year. After the Pakistani government made the proposal earlier this year, the group had threatened to leave, a move that made the nation retreat and promise an extensive and broad-based consultation process with civil society and tech companies. That consultation never happened, AIC said in a statement on Thursday, reiterating that its members will be unable to operate in the country with this law in place.
We've heard that one before.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Those companies have threatened to leave other countries before over repressive laws. When was the last time they actually did? They seem to be much more motivated by dollar and rupee signs than by principles.
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
-- Ronald Regan
Re:We've heard that one before.. (Score:5, Funny)
-- Abraham Lincoln
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
Fun fact: If Reagan came back today, you'd call him a socialist and a left-wing liberal nutjob. But hey, if you never actually look at his views and policies, you can forever imagine you're normal and sane.
Just like if Jesus would actually pop into existence right now.
P.S.: Downmodding me won't make it not a fact. (Score:2)
Dear moderators... No matter how much you dislike it... Look at Reagan's actual policies... Tell me you would not call him a left-wing / socialist / liberal. ... Go ahead.
Denial will not change that. You need to deal with it. With yourselves, to be specific.
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Fun fact: If Reagan came back today, you'd call him a socialist and a left-wing liberal nutjob. But hey, if you never actually look at his views and policies, you can forever imagine you're normal and sane.
Just like if Jesus would actually pop into existence right now.
I was pretty young when Reagan was around, can you give some examples?
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Yeah! Cutting top tax rates, killing regulations, and other forms of supply-side ("trickle down") economics. Reducing the growth of government spending. Pressuring Communist regimes until they collapse (with minimal violence, even). "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help." Or "I didn't leave the Democratic party, the party left me." You sure figured out the Gipper!
Re: We've heard that one before.. (Score:5, Insightful)
No Google, no Facebook, no Twitter - boy is that gonna open up space for new domestic startups!
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Be careful what you wish for. I doubt you would enjoy life under Pakistani laws...
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we just want the censorship law, not Pakistani law in general.
Heck, we don't even want the law; just the side effect . . .
hawk
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Those companies have threatened to leave other countries before over repressive laws. When was the last time they actually did?
Google left China, probably expected to be invited back in a year or two like how they dealt with newspapers suing them for money.
Google is still waiting, and China never and won't ever want them back.
Pakistan would probably say "Good riddance!" when they leave, then invite the Chinese equivalence to come in.
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Got a link for what you claim about Google and China? Wikipedia says Google censored results in China, and eventually totally indicating when results were censored, but were eventually blocked by the Great Firewall anyway.
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A 5-seconds search in DDG can give you loads of links about Google exited China in 2010.
I will just copy one here: https://www.technologyreview.c... [technologyreview.com]
Wikipedia can never be relied on as the sole source of information.
Sus (Score:5, Insightful)
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Difference is that China has a much higher potential to be a cash cow, so that cancels out the need for principles.
Of course not, principles are still needed even then. The thing is, with lots more money they just become more easier to find, purchase, and hang on a wall somewhere.
Re: Sus (Score:2)
Maybe they should leave the USA first. Where would they go?
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You mean just like the "rich" people? I always wonder, where would they go? Where would I go, if I wanted to "escape" the tyranny here? Maybe Sealand %^)?
I guess the want to be the only censor (Score:1)
Simple narcissism
Pot Meet Kettle (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh, wait....
Cancers (Score:3)
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Hey! Don't insult COVID-19!
Why is totalitariannism so popular *everywhere*? (Score:2)
I'd understand if some types of states would be pro-totalitariannism... But it's ALL countries, cultures and "worlds", from what I can tell. As is if was collusion. What the hell? I'd assume at least *one* state wanted to stand out and be different ...
This is funny (Score:2)
Big tech now has principals and is going to stand up to censorship? Perhaps they should start by cleaning up their own house first.
Tech companies complain about being censored! LOL (Score:4, Insightful)
Big tech has been increasingly censoring users that don't conform their very narrow social and political convictions for years. Now when someone else wants to control the message, big-tech babies complain about "being censored." Ha Ha
Oh the irony!
Now the shoe is on the other foot!
What comes around goes around!
Treat people how you want to be treated by them!
They sure can dish it out, but they sure can't take it!
Let's see how they like it!
Their country (Score:2)
Their country, their laws. It is absurd for a social media tech corporation, after watching what went on in the US on both sides, to be surprised that another country doesn't wants them involved, regardless of complaints regarding the country X's "humanitarian effort" or lack thereof. Many American's dislike big tech so why would anyone be surprised that a foreign country of different religious and political views places restrictions?
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This is not about being surprised. This is about their business model being nonviable, and using PR to try to generate international outrage to make a nation change its course so that they can continue to do business there profitably.
They should leave the US too (Score:2)
Bye Felicia!
Like it matters... (Score:2)
They'll still be sucking China's little red dick, and if they're in China, sooner or later Pakistan will be begging them to come back.
double standard hypocrites (Score:2)
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They may be hypocrites, but they are American hypocrites - so that is OK.