This is a sad development for social media: The popular Twitter has yielded to selective censorship
From New York Daily News,
Twitter service may be getting spotty in some countries.
The micro-blogging firm announced on the company blog Thursday that it plans to change its censorship policies to comply with different countries' regulations.
"As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression," the post read. "Some differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there. Others are similar, but for historical or cultural reasons, restrict certain types of content, such as France or Germany, which ban pro-Nazi comment."
Users' tweets will be blocked in a country where they are against the law, but shown in nations where they are legal. For example, a pro-Nazi tweet may be scrubbed in Germany, but would appear on the user's account if read in the U.S.
When Twitter removes a comment, it says it will clearly mark when a Tweet has been censored and send it to the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse, which is creating a database of tweets deleted not only because of censorship but also as a result of cease-and-desist notices and copyright infringement.
Despite the setback, which I think is part of any struggle for change through attrition, I remain hopeful that internet freedom will prevail.
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