By Spy Uganda
Kampala: Google has responded to the Ugandan communications regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)’s a letter, in which they requested Google to block leading opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi’s YouTube and social media channels in the country claiming the said channels were spreading harmful propaganda that could plunge the country into turmoil among others. However, Google has declined to the call urging that they could only take action if UCC produced valid Court orders confirming their claims.
READ ALSO: UCC Writes To Google, Facebook Over Bobi Wine’s Ghetto TV
TheSpy Uganda has seen a letter which was sent via email to UCC by Dorothy Ooko, the head of Communication and Public Affairs for Africa at Google, stating that it will be very hard for them to act on allegations which are not backed up by court order which should confirm UCC’s claims.
“It is very hard to just have a channel removed due to a government request,” Dorothy commented.
She went on to write that in as much as Google follows country’s local laws, “it would have to be a valid court order” to move the company to act on the request to remove or block a channel.
READ ALSO: You Need To Get Licence Before You Go Live On Facebook Or WhatsApp-UCC Warns Netizens
“The letters just show what the UCC submitted to the Embassy, they are not court orders,” she adds.
It’s worth noting that in UCC’s letter dated 9th December 2020, directed to the CEO of Google company in California, USA, UCC demanded the immediate closure of popular Ugandan YouTube online platforms for compromising national security and causing economic sabotage and inciting violence which resulted into riots that led to the death of over 100 innocent Ugandans.
READ ALSO: UCC Sets Deadline For Online Media, Bloggers To Get License Or Face Closure
However, as we reported yesterday, according to its policies, Google receives content removal requests through a variety of avenues and from all levels of government-court orders, written requests from national and local government agencies, and requests from law enforcement professionals.
