The government which has already banned mobile Internet in J&K has now banned 22 social networks/ social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Reddit etc.
While the ban is implemented to stop spreading misinformation, this piece is about those 22 sites.
First, take a look at the list:
Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, QQ, WeChat, Qzone, Tumblr, Google+, Baidu, Skype, Viber, Line, Snapchat, Pinterest, Telegram, Reddit, Snapfish, Youtube, Vine, Xanga, Buzznet and Flickr (yes Flickr too!).
There isn’t a single desi socionet there – not even Hike (which has spent millions in marketing) or other local language apps/sharing platforms.
I am guessing that the govt has created this list based on frequency of usage of these sites and if none of the Indian startups are featured in this ‘banned’ list, these startups should really question themselves whether they are even relevant?
Remember:
If it can’t be used for evil, it’s not a superpower.
Or a super-product.
Image credit: Al Jazeera
