India tops Facebook’s content blocking list

New Delhi: Facebook has restricted access to nearly 5,000 pieces of information on its website in India in the first six months of 2014, the highest for any country, following requests from government and other agencies to act against hate-content on social media platforms.

Similar steps were taken in Turkey (1,893) and Pak-istan (1,773) during the said period, Facebook said in its Government Requests Report.

India is the largest userbase for Facebook outside the US with over 100 million users. It is also ranked second, just behind the US, in terms of government requ-ests for access to users and accounts.

“We restricted access in India to a number of pieces of content reported primarily by law enforcement officials and the India Com-puter Emergency Response Team under local laws prohibiting criticism of a religion or the state,” Facebook said in the report.

During January-June 2014, Facebook said it had received 4,559 requests for information on 5,958 users and accounts. Of this, 50.87 per cent of requests saw some data being produced.

Compared to the July-December 2013 period, the number of requests has gone up over 26 per cent, while it is higher by 40 per cent comp-ared to the same period last year. Facebook said it received 15,433 total requests for 23,667 users and acco-unts from the US and 80.15 per cent of requests saw some data being produced.

Meanwhile FIR for fake FB profile of Harsh Vardhan

The Delhi Police has registered a case in connection with a fake Facebook profile of Union health minister Harsh Vardhan after he filed a compla-int. An FIR under section 66A IT Act was registered at the Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police’s Economic Offence Wing against an unidentified person after the minister sent a complaint to police commissioner B.S. Bassi. “Upon establishing FB contact, the person offers various commercial services. The minister has taken strong exception to this criminal activity,” the complaint said.