Govt says YouTube removed documentary; videos links still on

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 05 2015 | 9:22 PM IST
YouTube is believed to have removed the controversial BBC documentary on Nirbhaya rape convict after the government directed it do so, but users can still access links to the video on popular video sharing site.
Meanwhile, the government also instructed telecom operators to ensure that the video is not available to their subscribers, after reports came that the documentary, which has the interview of the rape convict Mukesh Singh, was available to mobile broadband users, official sources said.
YouTube removed the documentary from its website, sources in the government said.
YouTube has confirmed compliance with the court order as per the notification received by them from the government.
However, the documentary could still be viewed on the site, which officials said, was due to the almost hour-long video being available on the cache servers, that people are able to view.
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team Director General Gulshan Rai said: "The content has been removed from the main server. Some cache content has been accessed by people which is also under removal. Telecom operators have been instructed to block those links as notified to us by Home Ministry and Delhi Police."
Speaking to reporters, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Department of IT has just complied with the court order, which it was obliged to do wherever any display of documentary including on Internet was prohibited."
"While we believe that access to information is the foundation of a free society and that services like YouTube help people express themselves and share different points of view, we continue to remove content that is illegal or violates our community guidelines, once notified," a YouTube spokesperson said.
This comes against the backdrop of government serving a legal notice on BBC, accusing it of violating the stipulated conditions to make a documentary with a controversial interview of one of the convicts of the December 16, 2012 gangrape incident.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 05 2015 | 9:22 PM IST

Next Story