Pakistan has finally made YouTube available to its citizens, lifting a ban on Google’s video streaming website which lasted three years.
Three years ago in 2013, YouTube was blocked due to a controversial video, titled “Innocence of Muslims”, which has garnered worldwide veiwership and was condemned by the Muslims for the video’s portrayal of Prophet Muhammad. Google has refused multiple requests and orders to take down the video, contributing to a full-fledged block of the site by Pakistan.
The Pakistani government had discussions with Google on YouTube having a content filtering model which allows authorities to block certain content on their own. However, such a move would contradict to some ways YouTube manages its service. A YouTube representative has stated that no special arrangement was made with Pakistan.
Nevertheless, the good news is a local version of YouTube has been launched in Pakistan, just like in other countries globally. This means that Pakistani YouTube surfers will have a dedicated homepage with country-specific tailored content.
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Source: TechCrunch