Indian court orders Facebook and Google to remove 'anti-religious' content

[cleanhippie]

Social websites including Google and Facebook have been ordered by an Indian court to remove all 'anti-religious' and 'anti-social' content within six weeks.

On Saturday a Delhi Court ordered 22 social networking sites, including Yahoo and Microsoft, to wipe the objectionable and defamatory contents and file compliance reports by February 6, 2012.

Additional Civil Judge Mukesh Kumar passed the order on a suit filed by Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi seeking to restrain the websites from circulating objectionable and defamatory contents.

Qasmi had objected to a number of images on the websites which he complained would cause 'irreparable loss and injury to the people who are offended by them'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2081078/Facebook-Google-ordered-remove-anti-religious-content.html#ixzz1iJaH7jIx

----------------------------------------------------------

*sigh*

[rrneck]

1. Oh boy.

What a trend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people (2011 census), more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing China, its population reaching 1.6 billion by 2050.[1][2] Its population growth rate is 1.41%, ranking 93rd in the world.

[LeftishBrit]

2. While I would not trust the Daily Mail, this seems to be confirmed by the Indian media

e.g. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-22/internet/30546317_1_summons-internet-companies-yahoo

All very stupid. And some people need to be told that being offended does not constitute 'irreparable loss and injury'.

[backscatter712]

3. We may have to respond to this with a blasphemy campaign...

[MarkCharles]

4. More religious bias attempting to censor free speech, surprise!

Not to mention, how would Google go about removing "all anti-religious" content and still be Google?

Is the court willing to go as far as to shut down Google and Facebook for the people in India?

[WolverineDG]

5. Good luck with that nt

[ZombieHorde]

6. Zeus is a myth!

Volcano gods actually love sluts!

Underwear Gnomes are merely an invention of silly cartoon creators!

Astrology doesn't really determine a person's personality!

The early Beatles songs were OK at best!

Satanists have been led astray!

[laconicsax]

10. You take that back! You take that back RIGHT NOW! All of it!

[humblebum]

7. Given the violent religious history of India, I can understand taking a hard stand

against anti-religious bigotry.

[cleanhippie]

8. Yawn

[Goblinmonger]

11. Couple things

1. Where do you get "anti-religious bigotry"?
2. Why do you first jump to censoring speech rather than address those that are violent?

[humblebum]

12. First of all, I call it "anti-religious bigotry" because

I see it to be anti-religious bigotry. Secondly, this is the type of speech that inflames. We generally do not allow pro-nazi, or pro-white supremacist, or articles and ads that discriminate against color or gender in mainline US publications. So, why would it be any different in India? Plus, that nation has been a religious hotbed of death and carnage for well over a thousand years.

[Vehl]

9. Yet another instance of the Indian Gov bending over bckwards to satisfy religious minorities.

I'm rather sickened by the actions of the current government(Congress party-centric coalition) that rules India now. It's probably the weakest and most indecisive government the country has seen in nearly two decades.

Also the government has an added benefit of supporting the complaints of this Islamic guy...the ruling party's head is an Italian born catholic. By piggybacking on the so called "complaints" of this guy, they might be aiming to bag two birds with one stone...preventing people from criticizing the actions of the congress party's head.

Ironically BJP (The opposition party) was panned by many western critics to be a "Hindu nationalist" party...however it was during the BJP's rule that India saw the most number of religious minorities gain places of power in the government. Abdul Kalam, India's most loved President was elected by the BJP, even though he was a Muslim.

At the rate the congress party is going, people are pretty much fed up with it, and will surely vote it out come next election.