Friday, 11 May 2007

Google Sends Apology Letter to Thai Government, Promises to Take Down Video Clips

In a bid to avoid any lawsuits and hostile feelings, Internet search giant Google has agreed to take down all anti-monarchy videos from its YouTube website.

In a letter addressed to Thailand’s Information and Communications Technology Minister, Google’s vice president Kent Walketer said that “the American company did not want to promote hostile feelings over the Internet video clips,” reported the Bangkok Post.

This action is seen as a means to end the ban that Thailand had imposed on the popular video sharing website since digitally enhanced videos lampooning the Thai king emerged last month and to also drop the lawsuit the Thai government had filed against Google whose company slogan is “Don’t do evil.”

According to the Bangkok Post a Google official had confirmed that although it might take a while to find all the video clips uploaded on YouTube, they will be removed eventually.

However, as of yesterday evening, majority of the offensive videos were still available for viewing said the Bangkok Post.

Although the lawsuit from the government has been dropped, it is not known if the pending charge from the National Police Office will be dropped as well.

The much revered Thai king is the world’s longest-reigning monarch and is protected by tough laws against any insult on the royal family.