YouTube in Pakistan to stay blocked 'indefinitely'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 8 February 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, YouTube in Pakistan to stay blocked 'indefinitely', 8 February 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55094047c.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 08, 2015
Officials in Pakistan say the country's ban on YouTube is set to remain in place "indefinitely."
The French news agency AFP cites an unnamed government official as confirming the news on February 7, one day after Pakistan's minister for information technology and telecommunication, Anusha Rehman, said the ban would remain in place.
Pakistan blocked the video-sharing site in September 2012 after it hosted "Innocence of Muslims," a film that sparked protests worldwide for appearing to mock Islam.
Since then, Pakistani officials say they have found no way to filter out blasphemous content other than by blocking YouTube entirely.
Free-speech advocates say Islamabad uses religion as a pretext for what they say is mounting censorship.
In 2010, Pakistan shut down Facebook for nearly two weeks for hosting allegedly blasphemous pages.
It continues to block thousands of online links.
Based on reporting by AFP and dawn.com
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
