The Blog Ban
As with most decisions that the government takes or implements, the ban on blogs too seems pretty dumb and hasty. At least, it does so in retrospect. Even as we bloggers are getting our tongues in a knot over freedom of expression and an authoritarian government and civil liberties, the main stream media, in India, has begun covering the news. And for the first (as far as I’ve seen at least) time, the press seems to be on the blogger’s side.
- Nilanjana Roy, herself a blogger, covers the Issue in the Business Standard
- The Outlook covers the issue
Now that the bloggers in India have come a little away from the early days, some concerted effort has been taken by popular bloggers across India. A wiki – The Bloggers against censorship has relevant information and is following the updates as they happen. Do check them out.
Here’s the correct address of Nilanjana’s blog:
http://pkblogs.com/akhondofswat
I just can’t believe it happened! I have been saying it over and over again but I can’t believe it!
Stephen,
Unfortunately, civil liberties and such minor details don’t stop the government of India. I am sure, now that enough blogs and enough newspapers are talking about it, the ban will be lifted. But, another week, another crisis and the back the government will come, stomping on little people.
C
This kind of thing didn’t happen in the US even after 9/11, though they spied like hell on Netizens (there was Carnivore and Echelon even before 9/11). They said Al Quaeda used steganography to pass secret information to cadres through porn sites. The US govt could have blocked all such sites, but it didn’t.
I don’t think ISPs can be blamed. They’ve no option.
Elizabeth Bennett, don’t forget the US Government might not have banned the blogs after the 9/11 (was it even this popular then) but it did go ahead and do a lot of other things which affected civil liberties
Yes, the US govt is doing what it’s always been doing. They spy on the Net as much as they can, force ISPs to reveal information about users, but they never dare to *block* anything. You can still find illustrated e-guides to bomb making.
fair enough the US were lot more professional in it, blocking doesn’t make sense but monitoring and tapping the phones and emails etc would have helped their intelligence a lot more. But to tap phone calls and emails with no warrant is violation of human rights and lets not even get into the Guantanamo bay stuff. I was just trying to say that its not just the Indian Government which ignores the civil rights. Other Governments do so too but in a lot more PR savvy manner. Maybe if there are PR gurus in the blog world they should consider joining the Indian Government.
You know, I have to wonder about that. How reasonably certain are we that some things aren’t blocked “for our own good” in North America?
Long live a hacker nation I guess…