This weekend, Benn was called by 15 people asking him why YouTube was down. If you are one of those people, here is your answer: (Plus, you really should get out more :-p)
Pakistan Telecom and internet service provider PCCW have been blamed for the YouTube blackout, which caused the site to be down for two hours on Sunday. ISPs were ordered to block the video-sharing site because it held content that was deemed offensive to Islam (Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad and the trailer for a forthcoming film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which portrays Islam in a negative light, are suggested reasons)
It is believed that in order to block Pakistan citizens from viewing the site, Pakistan Telecom ‘hijacked’ it’s web server address. These details were then passed on to the countries ISPs so that anyone in Pakistan attempting to visit the site would be re-directed elsewhere. But the details were leaked out into the wider internet from PCCW and as a result YouTube was mistakenly blocked by ISPs around the world. As soon as PCCW were told of the issue by YouTube engineers, the block was lifted.
It is thought that it was a simple mistake by an engineer, and there is nothing to suggest that it was malicious. Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority have announced that the ban will continue in Pakistan until further notice, despite uproar from users.