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I wouldn’t say that I’m defending the practice. It’s a bad decision and I wish Pakistan wouldn’t censor these apps. But it really does seem like the responsibi
by SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
I wouldn’t say that I’m defending the practice. It’s a bad decision and I wish Pakistan wouldn’t censor these apps.
But it really does seem like the responsibility lies with Pakistan here. The article suggests Google’s trying hard to keep these apps up, and has indeed kept some up despite government pressure. At the end of the day, their options to resist legal demands are limited, and it’s hard for me to see an argument that this relatively small instance of censorship is so important they should shut down operations in Pakistan over it.
- LeifCarrotson 6y ago> At the end of the day, their options to resist legal demands are limited They're really not. Google is not based in Pakistan, and they don't have offices or datacenters in Pakistan. Why should they take _global_ action against developers who are _located in the US_ on the request of someone who does not have jurisdiction over them? It's interesting how this plays out in reverse to the typical copyright fights - people violating US intellectual property law in Pakistan (or wherever) are often litigated under those US laws; here they're litigating against Americans based on Pakistani laws.
- selimthegrim 6y agoIndeed, in the final appeal that failed in Pakistan against these laws (Zaheeruddin v. State) the Supreme Court bench cited the Coca-Cola trademark as an example
- Dma54rhs 6y agoIm sure they do sell ads in Pakistan and want in the future? An independent state could strangle that business in many easy ways if that is their mission, therefor Google will eventually do whatever it takes to stay in the market.
- SpicyLemonZest 6y agoThey shouldn't and haven't taken global action against the developers. The apps remain available outside of Pakistan - you can find them if you search for "ahmadiyya muslim community quran".