In the growing and ever expanding world of technology, we are free to say what we want. We have youtube the most amazing platform ever to raise the voice and consciousness of the planet. We have twitter, facebook and a plethora of other social media advances waiting to be created. Facebook twitter et al represent the first truly global communities in the history of civilisation. We are at the brink. We lucky few are living through a fundamental change in the structures of human civilisation and the emergence of social media societies. Yet in the midst of all this change the more things stay the same.

My first thought when I heard of the ban was mild amusement to be honest, I mean it's a social media site, but when my poor brain caught up with the reality I found my smirk on the ground at my feet.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority authorities said it had ordered internet service providers to "completely shut down" YouTube and prevent Facebook from being viewed within Pakistan.

BBC - Pakistan blocks access to YouTube in internet crackdown

It sucks to be you

For years we’ve looked at the growth of the internet, social media and the upsurge in lives lived and connected online. The threats of viruses, phishing and all their nefarious cousins have barely slowed the march into the future down. The biggest terror yet, is rearing it’s ugly head now though. The thought police. Yes they’re finally here albeit a few years late and living in Pakistan. Governments are striking out at free speech one social network ata time and we have two choices. Just be thankful it’s not our rights being infringed… yet.

Pakistan has blocked the popular video sharing website YouTube because of its "growing sacrilegious content".

I just don’t see enough outrage around the web about Pakistan’s stance on this matter. The initial block seems to have arisen from a Facebook group inviting submission of caricatures of the Prophet. Now depicting likenesses of the prophet is not allowed in Islam. The whole matter is intolerant and in very bad taste. However the ignorance and maliciousness of a few people on the internet should not become the excuse to start regulating the media in a country.

One Youtube video to bring them all

There can be no room, now, in the 21st century for this kind of cave man thinking. The kind of thinking that spread across the world many years ago in large ships, that colonized every continent is boarding their vessels now. In virtual harbours of Pakistan and China. Carrying Bibles preaching the evils of twitter facebook and youtube. We stand on our free shores shaking our heads but for how long if we continue to do nothing.

One Facebook app to find them

The Pakistani government is doing itself a disservice and insulting the intelligence of it’s populace. I’m not going to get into the fundamental, well, wrongness of the supposition that censorship solves any problems. It doesn’t. It can’t and never will. However it’s a sobering reminder of the fact that the freedom we have on the net and in our social media networks and on the planet for that matter, is a shaky freedom. It is a freedom that can be taken away without warning or stolen away without trace. So perhaps it’s time for the rest of us to make our voices heard for those who cannot.

 There are a number of resources around trying to further the cause of these countries in which censorship is intruding on the rights of the individual. Looking around at what’s happening around the world, and I’m not just talking about China and now Pakistan, I am apalled. Say your say!!

Do your bit and support the these resources:

• Global voices advocacy - Access Denied Map
• Resources to help keep the web free

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