First China banned Google and a few sites and last week the Delhi High court warned that like China, they could also ban a list of sites including Google and Facebook unless they implemented filters so that users cannot post 'offending' material. On the other hand Obama administration was under pressure to enforce online privacy and piracy regulations - although for now it seems as if it has taken the side of the Silicon valley giants and declared that it would not fiddle with the architecture of the web.
This prompted Rupert Murdoch to tweet,
"So Obama has thrown in his lot withSilicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery"
As it stands now the approach of the governments and the web sites stand on two extremes and a collision course is clearly visible. On one hand sites like facebook, gives little care about users privacy and treats its users as if they are guinea pigs and they had signed up for the worlds biggest sociology experiment. While on the other hand some regimes use this as an excuse and implement their own agenda of suppressing the freedom of expression.
I largely support the concept of an open web. But I support regulating the web on privacy, piracy, intimidation, black mailing, child pornography, but not certainly in to the idea of blocking off sites like Google and Yahoo. How can I do my job without Google - I need to find another profession :D
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