Islamabad: Pakistan has blocked Wikipedia as the website refused to remove offensive or ‘blasphemous’ material.
Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) had degraded — disrupting and slowing access — Wikipedia services for 48 hours on the instruction of the high court a few days ago, asking it to delete the content deemed ‘blasphemous’ from its website, The News reported.
They were given an opportunity for a hearing, but Wikipedia was in no mood to comply. Hence it was blacklisted, a PTA spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper.
Pakistan is not the first country to have blocked Wikipedia, one of the most popular and widely used websites in the world.
China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Myanmar are countries where Wikipedia ban is effective even today, according to the website.
WIKIPEDIA CENSORSHIP
Belarus — March 11, 2022 to April 7, 2022
China — April 2019 till present
Iran — 2013
Myanmar — February 15, 2021 till present
Pakistan — March 2006, several days in May 2010, February 1, 2023 till present
Russia — 2010s till present
Saudi Arabia — 2000s till present
Syria — April 30, 2008 till February 13, 2009
Tunisia — November 23-27, 2006 Blocked all versions of wikipedia
Turkey — April 2017-2019/2020
Uzbekistan — 2007, 2008, 2012
Venezuela — January 12, 2019.
