Thailand’s government has welcomed as “a good idea” a decision by the social-media site Twitter to give governments the capability to block Twitter user posts in specific countries.

Thai Information and Communications Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap is quoted as saying she agrees with Twitter’s new policy.

She pledged, however, that Thai authorities “will not be involved” in censoring Twitter.

Thailand routinely cracks down on Internet content deemed disrespectful of the country’s royal family.

In November, the government asked the social networking website Facebook to delete some 10,000 pages it claimed were offensive to the monarchy.

Twitter announced on January 26 that it has “the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country — while keeping it available in the rest of the world.”

It said that the company is now working in “countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression.”

Activists around the world have criticized Twitter’s announcement.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the idea that freedom of expression differs from country to country is “unacceptable.”

Compiled from agency reports

Copyright © 2012, RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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