Top 5 Technology Bans

5. Google Street View

Technology is advancing at an enormous pace no doubt, and with the compilation of street maps into a single application would have been a tremendous improvement in GPS systems and related technologies, but due to privacy related issues, the governments of both Greece and Austria banned Google from deploying its street-level cars in the countries. The ban took place in May of 2009 and is pushback against Google’s interfering eyes.

4. Laser Pointers

You must have noticed your university professor giving lectures using PowerPoint and using laser pointer to emphasize something which demanded greater attention. You could have one on your key chain and confuse your boss in a budget meeting. You could point to the constellation Orion with it or you could point it at your kids. You could even use one to ward off bears while camping. Or you could shoot the laser at a soccer goalie in the eye during a World Cup qualifier (Saudi Arabia vs. South Korea, 2008) or possibly point it at passing planes. In the year 2008, Australia and most of Europe banned the use of laser pointers.

 

3.The Great Firewall of China

The paragraph is taken from Time Magazine.
“China has more Internet addicts than most countries have people, and its leadership knows full well the power of the Web. A government white paper in June hailed the Internet as “a crystallization of all human wisdom” but, in typical Beijing speak, reminded the world that “within Chinese territory, the Internet is under the jurisdiction of Chinese sovereignty. The Internet sovereignty of China should be respected and protected.” What this alludes to is the vast, often mysterious set of blocks and bans the authoritarian government has imposed, sometimes relaxed and then reimposed on whole swaths of the online world.”

2. Pakistan Bans Facebook

Being a part of  the Muslim community, it is a very unhealthy act to disrespect someone’s creed and religion. Islam is one of the major religions of the world and over the past few years, many different religious communities have tried to make fun of the Muslim community via Facebook, due to which Facebook was banned (temporarily) in compliance with orders from the highest court of the country.

 1. UAE, Saudi Arabia Ban the BlackBerry

The United Arab Emirates blocked sending e-mails, access to the internet, and delivering instant messages among Blackberry users in 2010.  Saudi Arabia followed suit. Both nations were unhappy that they are unable to monitor such communications. This is because the Blackberry handsets automatically send the encrypted data to computer servers outside the two countries. Abdulrahman Mazi, a board member of the state-controlled Saudi Telecom, has admitted that the decision is intended to put pressure on Blackberry’s Canadian owner, Research in Motion (RIM), to release data from users’ communications “when needed”. The UAE’s telecoms regulator, TRA, said the lack of compliance with local laws raised “judicial, social and national security concerns”.