Pakistan lifts YouTube ban, reinstates ban minutes later

                                       
When YouTube refused to take down a controversial video called "Innocence of Muslims" this summer, a small number of violent protests were sparked. Pakistani officials reacted by imposing a country-wide block of YouTube. According to the New York Times, YouTube was made available for only three minutes before Pakistani officials pulled the plug once more. According to other, unverified accounts, YouTube access may have lasted up to 90 minutes -- something which may be confirmed by Google's Transparency Report.

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Syria pulls the plug, Internet traffic comes to a halt

                         
Syria's tether to the digital world appears to have been severed, cutting off Internet access to and from the country entirely. In addition to an apparent Internet blackout, Syrians may also be facing isolated landline and cellular phone service disruptions according to the Associated Press and a growing number of unverified reports

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Google report shows increase in censorship, anti-piracy requests

This summer, Google's Transparency Report indicated an increase in global government censorship. Google's latest bi-annual look though illustrates not only a continued increase, but a substantial uptick of government-issued requests in just past six months. In fact, requests to take down websites have increased by more than two-thirds since the last report six months ago.

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