Indian threat to act over internet content

India’s telecommunications minister says the government will act on its own after internet giants such as Facebook and Google ignored his demands to block derogatory material from their sites.

Kapil Sibal said he spoke repeatedly with officials from internet companies over the past three months and asked them to come up with a voluntary framework to keep offensive material off the internet. “This is a matter of great concern to us. We have to take care of the sensibility of our people,” he said.

Mr Sibal denied he was promoting censorship but said some images and statements on social media risked fanning tensions in India, which has a long history of religious violence.

Socially conservative India already censors some films and books considered obscene or likely to stoke religious conflict.