A blog post from Twitter was published recently talking about a decision to block specific content in specific countries. So, it turns out that Twitter’s into censorship, a long way from last year’s post (Tweets Must Flow) promoting civil liberties.
Basically, Twitter is going to “restrict certain types of content, such as France or Germany, which ban pro-Nazi content”. And that’s not all, the blog post details that the new policy gives “the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country – while keeping it available in the rest of the world”.
“As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression. Some differ so much from our ideas, that we will not be able to exist here”, the blog post wrote.
But there are worries that Twitter’s new policy will be too challenging to fully control. The wording alone that Twitter used is not that accurate anyway. “We try to keep content up wherever and whenever we can, and we will be transparent with users when we can’t”.
However, Twitter promises that it won’t simply accept any kind of request. “If and when we are required to withhold a Tweet in a specific country, we will attempt to let the user know, and we will clearly mark when the content has been withheld”.
Obviously, such a change in policy is not the sort of thing that would simply pass on neglected. That’s why Twitter explained that its new policy is just a way “to communicate transparently to users when content is withheld, and why”.
And support has surely come. Thailand is the first international government to publicly endorse the introduction of Twitter’s controversial policy and no wonder why. Last year, the Thai government asked Facebook to remove over 10,000 pages that are claimed to have violated the state’s majeste law.
Thenextweb.com writes that ICT permanent secretary Jeerawan Boonperm told the Bangkok Post that Twitter’s new policy is a “welcome development”.
Coupled with ACTA and PIPA, Twitter’s new policy just shows that the age of internet freedom might be coming to an end. Enjoy it while you can.
