India Defends Moves Against Social Media

Censorship ការចាប់ពិរុទ្ធ                   Block រាំងខ្ទប់                                         Accused ចោទប្រកាន់

Earthquake ការរញ្ជួយផែនដី              Ethnic conflict ជម្លោះជាតិពន្ធុ                  Panic ការភ័យស្លន់

Lawyer មេធាវី                                  Cyber security សន្តិសុខអ៊ីនធឺណិត          Emergency ភាពអាសន្ន

Dismissed បដិសេដ                         Misuse ការប្រើមិនត្រឹមត្រូវ                      Based តាំងនៅ

Call for អំពាវនាវ                              Limiting ដាក់កំហិត                                 Come up with ដាក់ចេញ

Requested បានស្នើ                          Supporter អ្នកគាំទ្រ

The government in India is defending itself against charges of Internet censorship.

The move comes after the government last week asked the companies like Facebook and Twister to block more three hundred websites.  

Officials accused the websites of posting edited images and videos of earthquake victims. They said the websites falsely claimed that images were Muslim victims caught in recent ethnic conflict in India’s Northeastern Assam states and Burma.

A number of the images were reportedly uploaded from Pakistan. Official said the panic that resulted caused thousands of Hindu immigrants to flee the area. They feared that Muslims would answer the false reports with attacks of their own. Lawyer Pawan Duggal says this is the first time Internet and mobile-phone technology have been used to create fear in a community. He says India has to make cyber security the top concern for the nation. “Unfortunately, India does not even have a national cyber-security policy,” he says. And there is no plan, should this kind of emergency happen again. Pawan Duggual also thinks India needs an army of its own cyber warriors.

On Friday, India’s Communication and Information Minister dismissed claims that the government is trying to censor social media. But he did say misuse of social media has to be stopped. Pranesh Prokash is with the Center for Internet and Society based in Bangalore. He says some of the web pages that have been blocks include official news websites. He says the current case appears to call for some action. But he thinks the government has gone too far. He says the effort is limiting good news reporting. Pranesh Prakash also says some of the websites were uploaded by people trying to let others know that the images were false.

The government in India has called on social media companies to come up with a plan to keep offensive material off the web. Last year, it passed a law that requires companies to remove so-called “objectionable content” when requested to do so.

A Google report says that last year India topped the list of countries that make such requests. Supporters of online freedom have expressed concern that India may be restricting use of the Web.

About 100 million people in India use the Internet-that is third most in the world. 
       

VOA Learning English for VOA Special English 
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