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Google Assists In Arrest Of Indian Man

An anonymous reader writes "After a Google user posted a profane picture of the Hindu saint Shivaji, Indian authorities contacted Google to ask for his IP address. Google complied. He was arrested and is reported to have been beaten by a lathi and asked to use the same bowl to eat and to use in the toilet. Not surprisingly, Google is a keen to play this down as Yahoo is being hauled over the coals by US Congress for handing over IP addresses and emails to the Chinese Government which resulted in a Chinese democracy activist being jailed." Readers are noting that these are 2 unrelated cases — the latter is several months old.

11 of 609 comments (clear)

  1. India is slowly losing my respect by mi · · Score: -1, Troll

    For years I was rooting for the country as a rising Democracy and a counter-balance to the rising Communist dictatorship of China.

    And then, boom-boom-boom came the disappointments of their refusal to join us in Iraq, to support Tibetans, to censure Iran, and now this...

    Maybe, the USSR-created Communist infestation has something to do with it...

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    1. Re:India is slowly losing my respect by pizza_milkshake · · Score: 0, Troll

      Wow, I had no idea. These examples demonstrate an Indian foreign policy that favors peace, human rights and diplomacy -- values clearly in conflict with current U.S. foreign policy.

  2. Nothing to see here... move along. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Really. Nothing to see here... move along.

    All the moral relativists here on /. should have absolutely no complaints about this case.

    Just because being beaten with a long cane and being forced to eat from your toilet bucket (or wear it on your head, a common practice in parts of India, yeah really) seems cruel and unusual doesn't mean that it is. Viewing it as such is cultural imperialism as we attempt to judge another culture using our own value system. And that would be wrong.

    In addition, viewing Google's actions against our own cultural mores would likewise be incorrect. Instead we must attempt to see their actions from the point of view of the offended parties. From that vantage point it is clear that Google has rightfully done its civic duty by helping see to it that a miscreant who insulted a saint was brought to justice and properly punished for his blasphemous ways.

  3. Re:compliance, not judges by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    If they're not going to try and make a judgement call about what is evil then they should drop their (now obviously) hypocritical slogan.

    What the hell is it with people like you? Are you so trapped in an idealistic, geek fantasy world that you don't realize that a company slogan is not legally binding? Do you not understand that when a company goes public, it is responsible to its shareholders, not to its slogan? You're basically saying that your outrage is because of their slogan, not because of the allegedly dubious activities that they take part in. So if they changed their slogan to "Make more money!" and continued ratting out foreigners to their governments, you'd be perfectly happy?

    You're either an idiot, or 16 years old.

  4. Shitting Where you Eat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I spend 2.5 years in India as an American IT manager. Trust me when I say that shitting where you eat is nothing new to Indian's. If the guy were a free man, he would probably be doing the same thing. Remember, this is a culture where you wipe your ass with your hand.

  5. Re:Wow... by ShieldW0lf · · Score: -1, Troll

    Sucks that the wrong guy got apprehended. Other than that... what is the problem? Libel and slander are illegal everywhere you go... nice to see some people taking it seriously.

    --
    -1 Uncomfortable Truth
  6. Re:Sloppy Definition? maybe... by STrinity · · Score: -1, Troll

    If Hinduism is true, wouldn't the guy who profaned a saint be evil, and thus Google doing good by helping the Indians punish him?

    --
    Les Miserables Volume 1 now up with my reading of
  7. Nice work, you Google Dickheads by hyades1 · · Score: 0, Troll

    The longer they're around, the more indications we see that Google's left coast, we're-all-in-this-together, good guy image is nothing more than just another example of corporate PR spin.

    Can anybody still believe Google has no plans to surrender all those search records they've been hoarding to the first fascist prick who waves a writ in their face? The people who allowed this to happen should be made to walk the plank.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  8. Re:Even the Post Title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    We prefer our slave name here in GNAAmerica. Please respect our ethnic identity.

  9. Does he get to wash the bowl? by Organic+Brain+Damage · · Score: 0, Troll

    I suppose it's not great, but it beats prison time in the USA.

  10. Re:Sloppy Definition? maybe... by ShieldW0lf · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yes, both of those things are evil.

    --
    -1 Uncomfortable Truth