NEW DELHI: India on Sunday said that Google had blocked access in the country to an anti-Islam film which has triggered protests across the Muslim world as it condemned the “offensive” movie.
“Google India has, in compliance with Indian law, blocked access to the offensive material,” foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said. “India has always strongly condemned all acts that disparage religious beliefs and hurt religious sentiments,” he said in a statement, adding that authorities were also “in touch with US officials who share our concerns on the matter”.
A Google executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that it had blocked access to Internet users trying to watch the movie via YouTube which it owns. More than 80 people were arrested in the southern city of Chennai on Friday after an attack by Islamists on the US consulate during a protest against the film. India has reinforced security at the US embassy in New Delhi and consulates and diplomatic interests.
Meanwhile, YouTube has begun restricting access to videos of an anti-Islamic film in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, a government official said on Sunday. Extracts of the film were still available on the video-sharing website on Sunday, but Broto said Google was “making special effort” to prevent the film from being watched in Indonesia.