J&K orders blackout of anti-Islamic film; block of FB, YouTube if needed

Jammu and Kashmir Government today directed internet and telecom service providers to take all measures, including blocking 'Youtube' and Facebook' if needed, to ensure that a controverial film deemed offensive to Islam is not accessible to subscribers in the state.

The order to this effect was issued by the state Home Department, invoking the powers conferred under sectin 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885.

"In the interest of public safety and for maintaining public order, the government directed all licensed Telecom Service Providers and Internet Service Providers to make arrangements to ensure that their subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir should not be able to download or upload the contents" with regard to the video, the order says.

"If necessary, due to technical reasons, the Fully Qualified Domain Names shall be blocked viz www.youtube.com, www.facebook.com etc," the order reads.

"They shall also ensure that the bulk mails that are being generated from their subscribers do not contain this file/versions of this file and the content and in case of suspicion (or) detection, the same shall be blocked and filtered," it said.