The popular social networking service website Facebook.com has been banned in Pakistan with effect from 19th May 2010. This ban will remain active until further notice from the authorities.
Facebook was blocked in Pakistan after they breached their own term of service recently. An event promoting the drawing of the sketches and cartoon’s of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) in an event named “Every One Draw Muhammad Day!” (as an act of hatred) and despite millions of flag and requests to shut it down they didn’t shut it down.Facebook has a policy that any page reported over a certain number of times is blocked from their system. Other than that any substance which leads to hatred or issues among any group or people is also banned on Facebook as it is clear from Facebook policies and terms of service.
They have been very active on this policy and one of the example is deletion of the Holocost related pages and events by facebook as they were reported by jews. But Facebook holds corruption and don’t block this event related to blasphemy.
Muslims all over the world decided and are boycotting Facebook from 18th of May 2010 to 20th of May 2010. But in Pakistan a group of lawyers who call themself Islamic Lawyers’ Movement petitioned court to ban the social networking website Facebook. The court ordered Pakistan Telecommunication Authorities to ban Facebook.com until 31st May 2010 when the court will hold the second hearing of the case in detail and will give decision.Mean while it ordered to punish anyone found guilty of illegally trying to access the banned Facebook.com website.
Currently if you open the banned Facebook.com page in Pakistan, a blank page is shown saying
This Site is Restricted
With the page title of
Access Denied
This act may or may not affect Pakistani facebook users and Facebook itself. However imho within 12 days of no facebook access, people might become a bit less addicted to it and start spending their time in some thing alternate to facebook, some thing constructive, hopefully.