Mind your language, Sibal tells Google, Facebook

I / Mumbai December 6, 2011, 13:16 IST

Concerned over objectionable content on social networking sites, the government today made it clear that it cannot allow this to go on and has asked internet firms like Google and Facebook to fall in line.

However, undergoing heavy criticisms online, Union Telecommunications Minister Kapil said that the government is not against online censorship and wants internet service providers to prescreen user content in order to remove disparaging and defamatory content online.

Asking the firms to evolve a mechanism and come back with a solution, Sibal said, "This government does not believe in either directly or indirectly interfering in the freedom of the press."

"I suggested that these platforms should evolve a mechanism on their own to ensure that such contents are removed as soon as they get to know of it... I have told them that this cannot go on.

"I believe that no reasonable person, aware of the sensibilities of a large section of the communities in this country, would wish to see this in the public domain," Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

The content posted on some of the sites, the minister said, was so offensive that it would hurt the religious sentiments of a large section of communities in the country. These contents would also offend any reasonable person looking at those images.

Facebook has said that  it recognises government's interest in removing abusive content and will engage with indian authorities on the issue.

The company's official statement also added, " We want Facebook to be a place where people can discuss freely while respecting the rights and feelings of others.We already have policies and on-site features in place and will remove any content that violates our terms."

Sibal said that he will discuss future action within the Ministry.