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India’s government wants total control of the internet

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Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#31

The documentary produced by the BBC "The Modi Question", was uploaded onto YouTube several times the week of release but taken down by request of the Indian Government. I was astonished a foreign entity can stop the world watching something if they don't like it, it wasn't just geo blocked it was removed off YouTube.

It was timed perfectly. 20 years later, nobody can question the documentary makers. A hitjob is hitjob.

A hitjob is a hitjob, but a pogrom is not a pogrom?

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#32
I don't think there is a way around this.

Companies technologically focused or not have to comply with local regulations on a number of things: privacy, age restrictions, medical, gdpr, hipaa, etc. So you can't "just follow international norms" You have to follow local norms.

In the West we had tech coordinate Covid, election and other information with government.

But now the West is "uncomfortable" with others wanting to set their own narratives because we disagree with them for differing reasons.

One is hard pressed to say one is right and the other is wrong. They are the same coin showing different sides.

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#33

The documentary produced by the BBC "The Modi Question", was uploaded onto YouTube several times the week of release but taken down by request of the Indian Government. I was astonished a foreign entity can stop the world watching something if they don't like it, it wasn't just geo blocked it was removed off YouTube.

But it's on the iPlayer and works perfectly? So you can watch it in your own country https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0dkb144

Kind of not the point. The BBC being unwilling to be intimidated doesn't imply that Youtube should be willing.

And I wonder if that BBC link works in India. Or if this one does: https://btdig.com/search?q=modi+question&order=2

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#34
post #10

The main priority of "Big tech" is profitability not freedom. They're not "giving in" as much as they're following a business model to maximize revenue. Ultimately internet censorship will benefit the biggest companies who are able to keep up with the regulations. It will effectively grant them unofficial monopolies as smaller companies struggle to keep up.

What does this have to do with the article on the Indian government increasing control of the internet?

The article’s subheading is “The Modi administration keeps giving itself new powers, and Big Tech keeps giving in.”

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#35
post #32

I don't think there is a way around this. Companies technologically focused or not have to comply with local regulations on a number of things: privacy, age restrictions, medical, gdpr, hipaa, etc. So you can't "just follow international norms" You have to follow local norms. In the West we had tech coordinate Covid, election and other information with government. But now the West is "uncomfortable" with others wanti…

Sure there is. Don't funnel everything through "companies". That was never how the Internet was supposed to work anyway.

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#36

We already have "multiple Internets". See China, there is barely anything common ground between the services "we" use and China use.

There's increasingly little ground between what the US uses and the EU uses, and will be even less ground over time as well. Is transferring EU Citizen Personally Identifiable Information to the US, in any capacity, even legal? Privacy Shield has been invalidated, the US passed the CLOUD Act, and GDPR is in force. Many experts say... it isn't, at all, it would just be chaotic if fully enforced. In 2 countries in Euro…

no way is the Chromebook an explanatory tale for all of the Internet. A Chromebook always has been an extension of one (powerful) US company.

As a US citizen and strong advocate of civilian relations across geography, I have to object to throwing out all possibilities in a bitter moment of finger pointing. "Increasingly" is weasel words, just say "know" :-)

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#37

The documentary produced by the BBC "The Modi Question", was uploaded onto YouTube several times the week of release but taken down by request of the Indian Government. I was astonished a foreign entity can stop the world watching something if they don't like it, it wasn't just geo blocked it was removed off YouTube.

"You want access to my market of a billion potential consumers? Do what I say!" Simple as that really. The government of Tuvalu making a similar request probably would have been politely ignored.

I don't know how country domains work legally, but I imagine twitch.tv might be very quick to respond to a request from Tuvalu.

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#38
Someone who has been on the receiving end of this, I can say that they are VERY persuasive.

To a point they will lock you up for sedition,without trial for a decade and if you are really lucky, some stupid judge will be allowed to let you go on a planted technicality.

I am not bragging but I've survived been charged with "waging war against India" whatever the hell that means and having my wits in the moment saved my sorry ass. Most are not so lucky.

I am a dissenting voice that will keep dissenting. I've helped in various projects over the years in trying to "spread the voice" and its all I ever want to do.

There is a war between me the person and the government and its just a matter of who wins.

Let them try to control the internet, gfw is working but its not like its immune.

I will find a way to make the voices heard. If it means someone Better than me has to chance the reins if I fall, well that's what we do.

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does this have to do with the article on the Indian government increasing control of the internet?

A corporation trying to align with a specific belief system would mean some countries would fall outside of it. This leaves them with two choices - either they stop doing business in said countries, or maximize profits by conducting business in those countries by loosening their belief system to include the countries' negatives, such as censorship of political discourse in this case.

I guess my question is if US tech companies don't comply with the Indian government and gets shut down, wouldn't an identical company who will comply with the Indian government just take its place?

The censorship is taking place either way right? Why not take the money?

Re: India’s government wants total control of the internet

#40

The documentary produced by the BBC "The Modi Question", was uploaded onto YouTube several times the week of release but taken down by request of the Indian Government. I was astonished a foreign entity can stop the world watching something if they don't like it, it wasn't just geo blocked it was removed off YouTube.

It was timed perfectly. 20 years later, nobody can question the documentary makers. A hitjob is hitjob.

The documentary did not even talk about how the Supreme Court of India investigated twice and the first one while the current opposition government was in power, and what conclusion they have reached. No witnesses from who were actually affected on both sides. Not sure if it should even be called a documentary.
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