The government of India's sometimes uncomfortable relationship with technology in general, and the Internet in particular, came to a head last week, when officials confirmed they had asked Internet service providers and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to remove certain items and block some users in a response to violence in Assam.
The move was widely criticized by analysts and citizens â€" after all, social media sites have controls in place to remove both users who are impersonating others and using hate speech. Making the situation more puzzling, some of the items the government asked to be removed included those debunking fraudulent material that sought to incite violence.
The Indian government has a long history of curious engagement with the Internet and has passed tough laws limiting free speech on the Internet. Late last year, the minister of communications, Kapil Sibal, asked social media sites to screen user content before it was posted.
Perhaps not surprisingly, a number of satirical Web sites and parody Twitter accounts have sprung up recently that poke fun at the government's stance on social media, the Internet and technology. Sometimes they are hard to distinguish from the real thing.
Can you identify which of the statements below come from actual government statements, and which are parody?
1. “Any normal human being would be offended†by some of the content on the Internet.
2. “Twitter is for the bird-brained.â€
3. “In this new era, all you need is a computer which can be connected to the cloud, with that, all your software and documents will be there. But until now, no one has studied yet …whether during rain or during a storm, will there be aberrations in it?â€
4. In an attempt to reach social media users, new members of Parliament, to be called to be called e-MPs, will be no minated by Twitter and Facebook users through a public poll.
5. “Prior permission is required before hyperlinks are directed from any Web site/portal†to the Web site of the prime minister. That permission must be obtained in writing.
6. “The prime minister's office had requested Twitter to take appropriate action against six persons impersonating†the office. “When they did not reply for a long time, the Government Cyber Security Cell was requested to initiate action.â€
7. Following up on its prosecution of Google, Facebook and other Web sites over “objectionable†and “offensive†content, the Delhi High Court has now decided to ban all telecasts of the ongoing India vs. Australia test series on the same grounds.
8. “I've just about got the hang of Google search. I'm yet to learn how to send an e-mail.â€
1. Actual statement, minister of communication and information technology, Kapil Sibal, during a December 2011 press conference.
2. Parody, a tweet from “Dr. YumYumSingh†on June 13.
3. Actual statement. Vishwa Bandhu Gupta, a former income tax commissioner, in an August 2011 interview.
4. Parody, a March article from the satirical Web site “Faking News.â€
5. Actual statement, from the prime minister's Web site.
6. Actual statement from the prime minister's office, August 24.
7. Parody, from a January article on The Unreal Times, a satirical Web site.
8. Actual statement, from Shobhandeb Chatterjee, chief whip in the Trinamool National Congress, in an August interview with the Times of India.
