Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said he was against censorship of online content, but added that freedom of speech was often misused.
“I hate the idea of censorship but have seen for myself how dangerous inflammatory content on #facebook and #youtube can be,” Omar posted on micro-blogging site Twitter, perhaps recalling the days of stone pelting and street protests in Kashmir last year when Facebook and YouTube users had started a campaign against him.
He went on to add in another tweet: “We want the luxury of free speech but not the burden of responsibility for how we use that freedom. Something will have to give.”
“If push came to shove, I’d come down on the side of freedom of speech but its one of those freedoms that has me worried unfortunately,” he added.
In yet another tweet, perhaps targeting TV channels, Omar asked: “How come all of you going nuts over Kapil Sibal’s proposal also go nuts when Hurriyat leaders go on anti-India rants???? Freedom of speech?? (sic)”
Communications Minister Kapil Sibal said Tuesday that the Indian government will not allow social networking sites to host “objectionable” content and will take steps to screen and remove them.
Sibal said this a day after representatives from Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Microsoft, during a meeting with him, declined to remove the “offensive content”.
IANS
