Media News - Friday, February 03, 2012

Google changes enable ‘per country’ blog takedowns

Blogger sites can now be blocked on a "per country" basis after a change to its web address system. Google will now be able to block access in individual countries following a legal removal request. The new system means blocking will not require restricting world-wide access to a blog. The changes apply in Australia, New Zealand and India, but the BBC understands Google plans to roll it out globally. The news follows Twitter's announcement that it could selectively block tweets on a country-by-country basis - news that attracted criticism from free speech campaigners. However, Joss Wright, research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, said he felt the changes to Blogger were a positive step. "Google's new approach to supporting country-level takedown requests in Blogger strikes a good balance between free speech, legality and practical issues for end users. "By allowing per-country takedown requests, Google can meet local laws without blocking content at a global level." Under the new system, a blog reader will, in the first instance, be directed to a website address using a "country-code top level domain". Google believes this will allow it to comply with local law enforcement requests, while keeping content available in other jurisdictions. (BBC News)

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