It was recently revealed in Google’s biannual Transparency Report that the UK government and police services have issued requests to remove YouTube videos which allegedly pose a threat to national security and incite violence.
During the period between the start of 2011 to the end of June, 135 requests were made by UK authorities to remove videos in what some might call an unprecedented crackdown, as last year no requests by authorities were made to Google with regards to removing videos.
This kind of censorship has been on the increase as of late, with videos on YouTube containing content expressed as freedom of speech by some being seen as an incitement to violence and hatred by others. As well as ‘classic terrorism’ videos, many closer to home videos have been targeted, most prominently videos involving the disturbances in London recently.
The UK government has additionally been cracking down on fraudulent online advertisements, with the Office of Fair Trading complaints up from 156 to 333 with regards to advertisements. More controversially authorities have also been attempting to gain access to user identities online more than ever before, with 1162 requests last year and 1273 in the last 6 months.
The UK government has also been requesting internet usage data far more in the half-year period, with Google allowing government requests for data on 82% of occasions, meaning important personal information, from Google at least, may be not so personal after all.
The internet’s wild west status has attracted media and government attention far more as of late, and many countries worldwide are becoming internet-accessible far more quickly than before, with some world-changing results. Perhaps increased attention of shady agencies is a small price to pay for complete freedom of speech and expression.
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