By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
MOSCOW, Russia – On the heels of multiple nations banning the Anti-Islamic film, The Innocence of Muslims, the Russian government recently threatened to ban the video-sharing online resource, YouTube, unless the company takes down the extremely controversial film that flared multiple violent protests.
On Monday, Russian communications chief, Nikolai Nikiforov, used Twitter to announce that Russia may take the necessary steps to completely block YouTube if they do not agree to the removal of the Anti-Islamic film.
The Russian prosecutor general has already categorized the film to be extremist and desires a court decision to ban it in Russia. However, if a court rules that YouTube is not required to take down the heated film, access to the website will simply be limited.
Russia plans to utilize a controversial new law that allows authorities to block entire websites over offensive content on a single page. Nikolai Nikiforov also wrote on twitter, “It sounds like a joke, but because of this video… all of YouTube could be blocked throughout Russia.”
In fact, various Internet providers through the Russia’s Chechen Republic were already instructed to block YouTube to prevent access to the Anti-Islamic movie mocking the Prophet Muhammad.
One Internet provider in Chechnya, Orange Company, already blocked YouTube. Furthermore, the republic’s prosecutor general officially ordered the three remaining providers, MTS, Megafon and Vympelkom, to block access to YouTube.
Ultimately, Google refused to take down the Anti-Islamic movie all together. However, the Internet company agreed to remove content that violates local laws to “maintain a balance between free speech and censorship.”
A YouTube spokes person states, “We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions. This can be a challenge because what’s OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere.”
Rachel Whetstone, Google’s director of global communications and public affairs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, wrote that Google is not “the arbiter of what does and does not appear on the web”.
Whetstone also states, “We try to take into account local cultures and needs – which vary dramatically around the world – when developing and implementing our global product policies. Dealing with controversial content is one of the biggest challenges we face as a company.”
For further information, please see:
RFE/RL — Internet Providers In Chechnya Instructed To Block YouTube Over Anti-Islam Film – 24 September 2012
BBC – YouTube under new pressure over anti-Muslim film – 19 September 2012
FoxNews — Russia may block YouTube over anti-Islam film – 18 September 2012
Los Angeles Times — More countries push to block YouTube over anti-Islam video – 18 September 2012
