Moscow – A court in the Far East of Russia has banned
Google’s (NASD: GOOG) YouTube, along with four other websites, citing "extremist"
content, the Moscow Times reports.
The court in Komsomolsk-Na-Amure blocked
YouTube over a video called "Russia for the Russians," in addition to
other sites that offered access to Hitler’s "Mein Kampf," as well as
the Internet Archive — which hosts copies of the sites’ content.
Rosnet, the
local ISP ordered by the court to block access to the sites, has already filed
an appeal.
"In our opinion, the court’s decision … to limit access of
Rosnet users to the whole YouTube.com site, not to a particular video, breaches
the right for freedom of information, guaranteed by Article 29 of Russia’s
Constitution," Google spokeswoman Alla Zabrovskaya told the Moscow Times.
Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2df8exu
(AFP)
http://tinyurl.com/23l79fp
(Moscow Times)
If the Russian government is so concerned about the spreading of extremist content on YouTube, do not block YouTube in the Far East, block the users who are posting the content.
I have been following Russian hate groups for a while, and most of the content that appears are from the groups that are in the Western Part of Russia, where the extremist activities take place.
If the Russian government really wants people to believe they are blocking YouTube to prevent the dissemination of extremist content, it should be blocked in Western Russian. Starting in the Far East is just the beginning of censoring and prohibiting free speech.
Wouldn’t those who post the files be charged under Russia’s Criminal Code violating racial and ethnic emnity and relligious hatred??