Cellphone companies find censoring words frustrating

Release Date ‎Nov 18, 2011‎ in DAWN-com

Pakistan shelves 'obscene' text message ban Times of India - 22 Nov, 2011 Pakistan rowed back from demands that text messages containing nearly 1700 "obscene" words should be blocked, following outrage from users and campaigners. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rowed back on Tuesday from demands that text messages containing nearly 1700 ...
Pak panel to examine ban on 'offensive' SMS texts amid outrage IBNLive.com - 22 Nov, 2011 PTI \| 06:11 PM,Nov 22,2011 From Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Nov 22 (PTI) Pakistan's telecom regulator today put off the implementation of a directive to block nearly 1700 "offensive" words from SMS messages, saying the matter would be sorted out after ...
	Pakistan telecoms body delays ban on 'obscene' texts BBC News - 22 Nov, 2011 The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has delayed the implementation of a ban on text messages containing "obscene" words. A PTA spokesman told the AFP news agency that it would carry out more consultations before producing a much shorter ...
	PTA shelves 'obscene' text message ban The Express Tribune - 22 Nov, 2011 PTA committee with representatives of civil society, mobile phone operators to decide on final list. By AFP The list was met with uproar, both at the attempt to censor messages and the inclusion of many seemingly innocuous terms, among them "Jesus ...
	Pak defers 'obscene' SMS messages ban deadline Firstpost - 22 Nov, 2011 Islamabad: Pakistani mobile phone operators today deferred the implementation of an order to block nearly 1700 offensive and obscene words from SMS messages, saying they were holding discussions with the telecom regulator on the issue. ...
	Pakistan shelves 'obscene' text message ban DAWN.com - 22 Nov, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rowed back on Tuesday from demands that text messages containing nearly 1700 “obscene” words should be blocked, following outrage from users and campaigners. On November 14, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) distributed ...
	Moral policing?: PTA backtracks, says list of banned words not final The Express Tribune - 22 Nov, 2011 ISLAMABAD: The country's telecom regulatory body, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has backtracked from the list of words it sent to telecom service providers to block text messages as part of a 'content filtering' ...
	Uproar in Sindh Assembly over SMS ban DAWN.com - 22 Nov, 2011 KARACHI, Nov 21: The issue of a ban on obnoxious text messages by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority caused a commotion in the house during the Sindh Assembly session on Monday when a minorities lawmaker without seeking permission from the chair ...
'Ban raises concerns on basic freedom' Times of India - 22 Nov, 2011 MANGLORE: Catholic Secular Forum general secretary Joseph Dias said the ban raised concerns about basic freedoms like freedom of expression and religion in Pakistan. "If such an action was taken by a non-Islamic or secular nation, singularly naming a ...
Pak blocks 'Christ' from SMSs, to review decision Times of India - 22 Nov, 2011 Mangalore: The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA), which had included 'Jesus Christ' in the list of words banned in SMSs "in the interest of the glory of Islam" , has agreed to review the decision after Mumbai-based Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) mailed in ...
Pakistan tries to proscribe text messages with offensive content Economic Times - 22 Nov, 2011 It takes a lot of work to be a good puritan. It is even harder work to try to be a puritan state, where citizens utter nary a bad word. Which, as South Asians will aver, is a tad difficult given the rich, variegated expressions and phrases readily ...
Pakistan Text Message Ban Includes 'Homosexual,' 'Lesbian,' And Other LGBT ... Huffington Post - 22 Nov, 2011 The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's ban on 1600 words deemed "pornographic or offensive to Islam" has flabbergasted much of the international media. Now, many global gay rights advocates are drawing attention to the number of LGBT-related words ...
Sindh minority MPA demands resolution against PTA Pakistan Daily Times - 22 Nov, 2011 KARACHI: The proceedings in the Sindh Assembly (SA) on Monday were disrupted by an uproar which erupted after a minorities MPA from Pakistan People's Party furiously demanded to move a resolution against Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for ...
PTA orders SMS filtration in a bid to enforce morality Pakistan Daily Times - 22 Nov, 2011 KARACHI: Cellular operators are in no mood to filter subscribers' SMSes at massive scale that will lead to decline in service consumption on their networks. They have expressed fear that filtration of SMSes will lead to a slow down of data traffic as ...
	Banning 'Jesus Christ' on SMS causes row in Sindh Assembly The Express Tribune - 22 Nov, 2011 PPP's Salim Khokhar reminds house of how Christians had protested when American priest was in the news. By Express / Irfan Ghauri / PPI PPP MPA Salim Khursheed Khokhar sat down in front of Speaker Nisar Khuhro to protest against the PTA's alleged ban ...
Pakistan Postpones Texting Censorship Voice of America - 22 Nov, 2011 Monday, 21 November 2011 Pakistan Postpones Texting Censorship Kurt Achin \| Islamabad Pakistan Postpones Text Message Censorship download iconDownload: MP3 \| Windows Media Right click (Control click for Mac) and choose Save Link/Target As Pakistani ...
It's Still OK To Text 'Offensive' Words In Pakistan NPR (blog) - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ You can still text the name "Jesus Christ" and the word "naked" if you're a Pakistani with a cellphone. Also still safe for texting: damn, nude and poop. Those are among more than 1600 words and phrases that the Pakistan ...
	Pakistan pushes ahead with ban on 'obscene' texts ZDNet UK - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ Mobile operators in Pakistan are being forced to block text messages containing words deemed obscene by the country's communications authorities. The Pakistani Telecommunications Authority has compiled a ...
Pakistan Postpones Texting Censorship Voice of America - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ November 21, 2011 Pakistan Postpones Texting Censorship Kurt Achin \| Islamabad Pakistani officials are denying they ordered the country's mobile phone operators to block certain text messages sent by customers. A free speech advocacy group plans to sue ...
Don't text Jesus in Pakistan? Possible ban list contains more than 1000 words Washington Post (blog) - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ “Do not forget to strap on your helmet before getting on your motorcycle.” “I got the tickets for Twilight. Hurry up or you'll miss showtime!” “This teacher is so boring. She's killing me.” Next week, these text messages could be banned ...
	Pakistan delays ban on 'obscene' text messages AFP - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ ISLAMABAD �" Pakistan's mobile operators on Monday deferred implementing a ban on nearly 1700 "obscene" words from text messages, saying they were seeking further clarification from the telecoms authority. The list, including words from "quickie" to ...
Pakistan to filter SMS for objectionable words Computerworld - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ IDG News Service - The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has instructed telecommunications operators in the country to filter SMS messages that include words that it considers objectionable, drawing criticism from civil rights ...
Pakistan Plans to Filter SMS for Objectionable Words PCWorld - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has instructed telecommunications operators in the country to filter SMS (Short Message Service) messages that include words that it considers objectionable, drawing criticism from ...
	Warning! The PTA might not approve of this bakwas The Express Tribune (blog) - ‎Nov 21, 2011‎ Banning is the stupidest thing you can do because when something is in the open, it can be tracked monitored, checked, and oddly enough, controlled. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has decided to ban the word 'bakwaas' (nonsense). ...
Pakistan 'obscene' text message ban starts today Times of India - ‎Nov 20, 2011‎ Pakistan's mobile operators were Sunday scrambling to block text messages containing any of over 1600 "obscene" terms banned by the country's telecoms authority. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's mobile operators were Sunday scrambling to block text messages ...
No quickies, no fairies under Pakistan's obscene text message ban Herald Sun - ‎Nov 20, 2011‎ Pakistanis will need to watch what they write after officials ruled about 1600 words "obscene". Picture: AP Source: AP PAKISTAN'S mobile operators are scrambling to block text messages containing any of over 1600 "obscene" terms banned by the country's ...
	Curbs make intelligible texting a huge task gulfnews.com - ‎Nov 20, 2011‎ By Mick O'Reilly, Senior Associate Editor The Telecommunication Authority hasn't said how or what penalties will be imposed if the companies fail to meet the new SMS rules. Or in Pakistan, let that sentence read: It's [delete] [delete] to be [delete]. ...
Dirty Texting Banned By Pakistan Telecom Authority PC Magazine - ‎Nov 20, 2011‎ Sexting is about to get a lot harder in Pakistan (no pun intended). The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has handed down a ban on about 1600 terms and phrases it has deemed obscene, including the word "harder," for one. ...
	Deadline looms on Pakistan 'obscene' text message ban AFP - ‎Nov 20, 2011‎ ISLAMABAD �" Pakistan's mobile operators were Sunday scrambling to block text messages containing any of over 1600 "obscene" terms banned by the country's telecoms authority ahead of a Monday deadline. The list, including words from "quickie" to "fairy" ...
Pak to block 1700 offensive words in texting Hindustan Times - ‎Nov 20, 2011‎ PTI If Pakistan's telecom regulator has its way, millions of mobile phone users may be unable to send text messages with "offensive" and "obscene" words like crap, damn, hobo, flatulence, gay, lesbian and slime from Monday. ...