Pakistanis have long been fighting a battle with the government to lift the ban on YouTube, which had quickly become a haven not only for regular viewers but also for underground musicians suffering from a lack of operative record labels in the country.
MediaWatch
Pakistanis have long been fighting a battle with the government to lift the ban on YouTube, which had quickly become a haven not only for regular viewers but also for underground musicians suffering from a lack of operative record labels in the country. The video-sharing website was banned in September 2012 after YouTube failed to remove a video on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which caused a huge uproar among the Muslim population. Since then, however, free-speech campaigners have constantly protested and written on re-opening the website.
Despite the ban, Internet users have still managed to access the website using proxy sites and while there has been no official announcement by the PTA regarding YouTube being unblocked, Google announced the launch of a country-specific, localized home page for YouTube in Pakistan, on Tuesday. An online statement by Google Asia-Pacific stated, “Starting today, if you’re in Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, you’ll see a new YouTube homepage that’s customized in your local language and domain. YouTube is already available in Nepali, Sinhalese and Urdu, and now having country-specific homepages means we can bring you the most relevant videos in a YouTube experience tailored for you.”
The website is accessible on the direct domain, www.youtube.com, but shows customized content relevant to the tastes of Pakistani audience with the Youtube logo bearing the letters ‘PK’. Popular local content on the homepage currently includes episodes from Imran Abbas-starrer TV serial Gul-e-Rana and ISPR song ‘Mujhe Dushman Ke Bachon Ko Parhana Hai’ - a tribute to the victims of Peshawar attack - whereas Coke Studio is among recommended channels.
As far as blasphemous content is concerned – the foremost reason for blocking the website in the first place – a Google spokesperson has ensured that government requests to remove content will continue to be tracked. “We will continue to engage with industry, governments, and civil society groups globally to ensure the Internet remains open, safe, and secure,” he said.
The news of YouTube’s launch has come only days after Netflix made its way into the country, and ironically after the Gallup survey suggested that 51% Pakistanis support the ban on YouTube.
With over 1 billion monthly users worldwide, YouTube is the world’s largest online video sharing community and serves as an important platform for emerging artists looking to share their talent with the world. Though it may still take some time before it is officially announced that YouTube is accessible again, viewers, musicians, artists and v-loggers can surely breathe a sigh of relief.
