Turkey’s Telecom Authority Blocks YouTube
After Turkey’s telecommunications authority TIB blocked Twitter last week, many Turkey watchers have wondered when the next TIB block might hit. Today YouTube in Turkey reports that its users there cannot access the service. TIB confirms that it took “an administrative measure” against YouTube. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-turkey-youtube-idUSBREA2Q1A420140327
Google, the owner of YouTube, began yesterday to investigate user complaints of no access to YouTube and today the company confirmed that YouTube is down in Turkey. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-turkey-youtube-google-idUSBREA2Q1GF20140327
Google has assured all of its users in Turkey that from the company’s perspective, they have done all that they can do to provide user access and the problem has nothing to do with their technology. However, late last week Google refused to cooperate with Turkish authorities requesting that it voluntarily take down YouTube videos critical of Turkish government corruption. So Google likely expected the TIB action. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304756104579453701510620372
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan claimed yesterday that micro-blogging constitutes “the worst menace to society.” In particular, he chastises the “robot army” for launching cyber attacks against him for political reasons. https://www.vocativ.com/world/turkey-world/turkeys-leader-nearly-banned-twitter-bot-army/
HFS analysts opine that more Internet offenders will likely face future government sanctions, not only in Turkey, but in other political enclaves where free expression faces government controls and censorship. Turkey demonstrates the Internet’s dependency on political connections.
To further illustrate HFS’s point, its analysts note the rapidly disintegrating Ukraine outsourcing business based around computer program developers and project managers. Political unrest tied to Russian military actions has destroyed the economic boom just last year identified as the fourth largest outsourcing operation on the planet. http://www.vocativ.com/world/ukraine-world/ukraines-booming-sector-jeopardy-amid-political-instability-war/
HFS analysts argue that without true economic, political, cultural, and technical independence from all governments, the Internet must evolve into a planet-wide patchwork ultimately controlled by political factions.
What do you think?
