Culture Pakistan blocks Wikipedia for 'blasphemous content'

NET POLICY​

Pakistan blocks Wikipedia for 'blasphemous content'​

Telecom authority PTA had previously given the online encyclopedia an ultimatum

February 4, 2023, 15:51

Pakistan has made good on its threat to block Wikipedia for alleged "blasphemous content." The online encyclopedia was blocked nationwide on Friday "after it failed to respond to our repeated correspondence to remove the blasphemous content and failed to meet the deadline," a spokesman for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told the AFP news agency on Saturday.

The authority had earlier given Wikipedia an ultimatum until Friday evening and restricted access to the website for 48 hours until it expired. Until then, the platform had time to remove relevant content, it said. The authority did not say what content was specifically involved.

Wikipedia had removed "some of the material, but not all of it," the PTA spokesman now said. The website will remain blocked "until all the offending material has been removed".

An AFP reporter in Pakistan was unable to access the site from a cell phone on Saturday.

The Wikimedia Foundation - the nonprofit that manages Wikipedia - reacted by saying the blocking denied "the world's fifth most populous country access to the largest free repository of knowledge." "If this continues, access to Pakistan's knowledge, history and culture will also be denied to all," it said in a statement. The knowledge platform had earlier faced restrictions on some of its pages.

Pakistani authorities had repeatedly imposed blocks on online media in recent years - including the video platform Youtube over a film about the Prophet Muhammad that was perceived as Islamophobic and had sparked protests in several countries. (APA, 04.02.2023)​

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[Sniperwoof]

Kinda based actually?

 

[Lone MacReady II]

Kinda based actually?

Now if only they'd reject the billions of Americandan Rothschild Kike notes brought in for Gender-reassignment education and other Solomon Sodomy programs. Now THAT would be based.

 

[Florch]

I'm more surprised to find out Pakistan has functioning internet, tbh.

 

[The Evil Midnight Bomber]

I'm more surprised to find out Pakistan has functioning internet, tbh.

They use it exclusively for tech support scams.

 

[Troonos]

Sounds like a net benefit for Pakistan. They win either way.

 

[Tism the Return II]

But how will UK children fail their homework now?

 

[Dysnomia]

Of course there's no mention of what the content is. That might offend someone.

Wikipedia isn't based in Pakistan. Wikimedia is in California. So it shouldn't have to remove content that hurts Pakistan's feelings. My guess is some historical factoid got their sandals in a bind.

I know you people hate Wikipedia. But this isn't the kind of thing that you should support. Unless it's intentionally misleading information or someone sabotaged a page with lulz then there's no reason to remove content because of feefees. It kinda goes against what KF fought for. Surprised anyone here would be supporting that.

 

[Florch]

Sounds like a net benefit for Pakistan. They win either way.

Does anybody really win in Pakistan?

 

[Real Fakeman]

Surprised anyone here would be supporting that.

B-b-but censorship is based when my side people who hate me and my entire civilisation but agree with me about trooning children and maybe one or two other things do it!
Never mind that Pakistan is a shithole where there is no freedom of speech, thought or press. Never mind that christians, hindus and others in Pakistan routinely get lynched, beat to death or burned alive for allegedly insulting islam or Muhammed. Pakistan is now based because they disagree with current year far left politics.

 

[Kill a Troon for Pikamee]

I am a centrist. I think that censorship is based when it's against people I don't like AND that pakistan is a shithole that should get glassed with a carpet bombing of cobalt nukes. You have never debated someone like me

 

[NerdShamer]

Of course there's no mention of what the content is. That might offend someone.

Wikipedia isn't based in Pakistan. Wikimedia is in California. So it shouldn't have to remove content that hurts Pakistan's feelings. My guess is some historical factoid got their sandals in a bind.

I know you people hate Wikipedia. But this isn't the kind of thing that you should support. Unless it's intentionally misleading information or someone sabotaged a page with lulz then there's no reason to remove content because of feefees. It kinda goes against what KF fought for. Surprised anyone here would be supporting that.

What's even more disturbing is that they initially prided themselves for refusing to bend the knee, around 20 years ago

 

[Camel joe]

Who cares Wikipedia is dogshit.

 

[byuu]

They must be talking about the blasphemy against gamers in their GG article.

 

[WelperHelper99]

Now if only they'd reject the billions of Americandan Rothschild Kike notes brought in for Gender-reassignment education and other Solomon Sodomy programs. Now THAT would be based.

If they do that, how will the poor Paki's get parts for their F-16's?

 

[EpicGamerMoment]

Based

 

[Biggie Smalls' Taint]

Entire country asks wikipedia to take that off the goddamn internet. What do they want removed exactly? No one knows. Journalists don't do their job anymore.

Also pakistan isn't a real country (much like canada)

 

[Zero Day Defense]

B-b-but censorship is based when my side people who hate me and my entire civilisation but agree with me about trooning children and maybe one or two other things do it!
Never mind that Pakistan is a shithole where there is no freedom of speech, thought or press. Never mind that christians, hindus and others in Pakistan routinely get lynched, beat to death or burned alive for allegedly insulting islam or Muhammed. Pakistan is now based because they disagree with current year far left politics.

In the original sense of the slang (and not the modern "this guy unapologetically spits far-right views"), they might fit the bill.