Like other tech giants, Netflix gets govt takedown demands – and impressively, none of them involve Adam Sandler Netflix has posted its first-ever report into what sort of content governments have asked the streaming giant to pull from its service. The Blockbuster-killer's Environmental Social Governance Report [PDF] includes, among other things, details on all of the demands Netflix has had to yank content from localized versions of its …
Fair enough to criticise the backwards state of Saudi Arabia, but Singapore has managed to maintain a high degree of social cohesion, despite a very diverse and multicultural population.
One of the ways they have done this is to carefully manage anything that offends religion. Singapore doesn't care what religion you are - they just know (as has been demonstrated in many other places) that when you get friction caused by perceived slights to a deity/messiah/prophet/floating carbohydrate based entity that it can cause massive unrest. So play nice and keep your opinions to yourself.
If only other countries managed this so well...
If a country censors, it hard to know if their image of "social cohesion" is real either.
How do you know if that hasn't been censored from reporting?
It could be argued in addition to "carefully manage anything that offends religion" they also "carefully manage anything that criticises or negatively portrays the state"
@JimJimmyJohnson
"in 2018, Singapore was ranked 151st out of 180 nations by Reporters Without Borders in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index. Freedom in the World scored Singapore 4 out of 7 for political freedom, and 4 out of 7 for civil liberties (where 1 is the most free)...."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Singapore
A law just came into effect in Singapore (October 2019) requiring social media companies to accept government labeling of various news pieces as "fake news." I love visiting Singapore, however I also acknowledge that the Republic's version of civil liberties is not one I am comfortable with.
I still have my DVD copy (and have ripped it for backup just in case). Given that local celebrity Mike King goes up and down the country talking to schoolkids about suicide and why not to do it, it seems incongruous that they would block the viewing of it. But then again, NZ is full of Mary Whitehouse like busybodies who think us proles are not equipped to manage our own thoughts and emotions and they know best (Peter Ellis, anyone?)
It could be that New Zealand have rules about how you show that kind of content? I don’t think the Beeb would show or broadcast anything focusing on suicide that didn’t have warnings and links to helplines and information. But I think in the UK all that stuff is voluntary and the main broadcasters all do it.
Also, Netflix isn’t regulated by Ofcom in this country, because they don’t broadcast. And Parliament hasn’t caught up with streaming-only media yet.
Or it has some public body that automatically stamps any public objection.
Here in stalinesque Canada, dire straits Money for Nothing was banned because one person wrote in objecting to the 'that little faggot got his own jet airplane' line.
Turns out that after a single complaint by some luser in Newfoundland (who apparently missed the day in school where they taught that the meaning of words can change according to the context in which they are used), The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council decided that it was "unsuitable for airplay" on private radio stations. This happened in 2011, over a quarter century after the song hit #1 in the Canadian charts. Naturally, most stations ignored the "ban". The CBSC later changed their tune to make it advisory, allowing stations to make up their own minds.
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katrinab,
Yup. Ofcom have taken over all regulation from ATVOD now, which I hadn't realised. However they don't regulate them in the same way as terrestrial telly. They don't have any power over editorial content, such as TV news having to be impartial and content of other programs.
Except to think of the children, so age verification of 18 rated films, and some control of content that might harm young people (which suicide-related materials could be counted under). Other than that they regulate advertising and material "likely to promote hate".
From memory, it was a scene in the remake which had some Nazi parapheanlia on the walls that caused the objection, due to their strict anti-Nazi laws. Cut the scene, and the rest of the film was cleared.
I think Netflix should be proud of this list in much the same way that any person/group who has a song banned on the BBC is. Such as Crowded House’s Six Months on a Leaky Boat due to its prissy desire not to offend the troops on the way to the Falklands despite the fact the troops loved the song and anyway it’s an allegory for a dodgy relationship innit?
It's only notorious to those that oppose the position, most Singaporeans I would suspect don't, given that it's a well run parliamentary republic.
For example, "The notorious 'Free at the point of delivery' position taken by the NHS" would be a line I'd expect to appear from within any US healthcare company board meeting (They'd gut their granny to take a bite out of the NHS budget) but not from anyone actually living in the UK who believe they benefit from it.
"from his triple bypass op carried out"
And your point is?
Or, to put it another way, over here in France the medical service is not "free". A visit to the doctor costs about €25 (your top up later refunds it). Many common medications are not free (your top up may or may not pay). Things such as plasters and supports are not covered.
The Sécu (like the NHS) will cover people in the system for 70%. You need a top up for the rest. This can be cheap of you're an employee of a company and get it from there, up to hideously expensive if you're a retiree. As such, medical care in France is not "free".
However, there are exemptions for major issues (Affection Longue Durée) where one is completely covered, plus additional things such as transport to and from treatment and many medications not normally covered. Ailments such as cancer, heart bypass surgery...
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