YouTube’s status as the world’s no.1 video sharing website means it offers the best way for video clips to be seen, but it also gives those wishing to place offensive videos a way to see YouTube blocked from entire countries!

Turkish citizens’ access to YouTube was restored after the offending video clips were removed, but Thailand is yet to restore YouTube access – especially after two new offensive videos appeared after the first ones were promptly removed by YouTube.

The crackdown seems inspired not only by the offensive nature of the clips with content explicitly designed to offend the Thai King and his subjects, but also by the fact the military-led Government wants to dissuade the media from being too critical, as well as sending a message to the ousted former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who is said to be using YouTube to get messages to his followers in Thailand.

Other political websites and international news broadcasts have also suffered the same fate, while international news broadcasts. Even a private television station is now in Government hands to ensure the ‘correct’ content is now being broadcast. Over 45,000 websites are said to be blocked, with most of these pornographic, although sites critical of the King, the current government or supportive of Shinawatra also on the banned list.

Of course, YouTube isn’t the only site that can be used to spread messages, video or otherwise, to anyone worldwide. Video clips can also be easily shared via mobile phone as MMS (multimedia messages), although the sending of SMS and MMS messages can be easily tracked by telecommunications authorities, making the sending of messages or videos deemed unsavory, unwelcome or otherwise unwanted infinitely more dangerous to those trying to get a message out in secret.

The Thai government is said to be in discussions with Google and YouTube to see if the problem of offensive videos can be resolved permanently to re-allow access of YouTube to Thai citizens, but unless a truly permanent solution can be worked out, untying YouTube’s tied Thai tubes could be very difficult.
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Alex Zaharov-Reutt  Internet  Video  Web  YouTube