YouTube Introduces Localized Version for Pakistan

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YouTube, in an interesting development, has started displaying “YouTube PK” as its default logo on the website for users accessing YouTube.com in Pakistan. While its not entirely clear, this move hints that a localized version of YouTube has been in play instead of default global version that Pakistanis used to get till few days ago.

ProPakistani users are reporting that they are seeing below logo on YouTube.com:

YouTube_BG

It must be noted here that this change in logo is not Pakistan specific, in fact YouTube users in other countries were already being served their respective country’s name with YouTube logo.

YouTube_PK

Unlike Google.com, where a local version for Pakistan is served to Pakistani people through a Google PK logo, YouTube never displayed its Pakistani audience with YouTubePK logo before today.

Since YouTube has now started displaying unique dedicated country code with its logo, move can result into an unspoken arrangement where Pakistani government could officially lift the ban on the website, or at least may not enforce the ban as before.

It would be worthy to mention here that YouTube is currently not blocking any content for its Pakistani version. All videos, that are available on its international version, are accessible in Pakistan as well.

It maybe recalled that YouTube is officially banned in Pakistan since September 12, 2012.

Lately, however, the website is accessible for majority of Pakistani internet users. PTA has said that website is accessible in Pakistan by mistake and that they will ensure the ban in Pakistan as per court order.

Since then, for over a month now, YouTube is accessible in Pakistan and is enjoying sizable traffic from Pakistan.

Check below the rapid growth of traffic on YouTube from Pakistani only:

YouTube

Traffic to YouTube.com from Pakistan

What do think of this development? Will this result into lifting of ban on YouTube? Do Share your thoughts!

Official press release from Google:

YouTube announced that it has just launched localised versions in Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This launch provides Internet users in those countries with a more tailored YouTube experience to find high quality local content so they can be informed, entertained, educated and inspired by content for their own culture and language, while continuing to access the wide array of content on the world’s largest online video platform. Now, users visiting the YouTube homepage from those countries will be able to see videos and playlists that are popular in their countries in their local languages and domains.

With over 1 billion monthly users worldwide, YouTube is the world’s largest online video sharing community, and is now available in 88 countries locally, as well as in 76 global languages, including in Nepali, Urdu, and Sinhalese. Starting today, visitors to YouTube from each respective country will see their country-specific YouTube site by default: for instance, users from Pakistan will now see the YouTube Pakistan site in Urdu when they visit the YouTube homepage, with playlists of trending and recommended videos popular in Pakistan. Viewers can now more easily find content that is beloved in their own countries, and discover more relevant local content on the world’s largest and most diverse video sharing community. This launch will also provide more people from Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka the chance to share their own stories and videos with the rest of the world.

“We aim to provide an even more tailored YouTube experience by launching versions that are optimised for Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. We also hope that this will pave the way for the work of local creators, personalities, and musicians to shine on the world’s largest and most vibrant video community,” said a Google spokesperson.

With Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, we are committed to protecting the exchange of ideas on all our platforms, including on YouTube. We continue to engage with industry, governments, and civil society groups globally to ensure the Internet remains open, safe, and secure. Government requests to remove content will continue to be tracked, and included in our Transparency Report.

Thanks to Muhammad Bilal for the tip.

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • yes, you are right Admin. Actually i was able to open youtube without any proxy by hitting https instead of http. But still http is unreachable

      • That doesn’t explain why he is able to open https link and not http.
        Since https content is encrypted, there is no way for ISPs to filter https data unless they present themselves as client to the website and decrypt the data and re-encrypt it with their own certificate, in which case users will not be able to see green bars on banking websites.

        • This seems to be deliberate move, they had previously managed to block the https version. But now it is open.

    • I guess they have to be answerable to court, so they are kept http blocked and kept official ban intact but have given way to open the site via https. However, on ptcl connections in my office when i request with http, it simply redirects to https and lets the site get open. In my home connection of linkDotNet, it gives “surf safely” error on http and opens like charm on https,.

      However, previously it was not opening on http and https both on both ptcl and LinkDotNet connections.

  • This is great, i think PTA somehow has some moderation rights on the content over the pk domain.

  • yes showing pk and also asking for urdu version of youtube.if you use .com.pk it will redirect to youtube

  • Its mean that we will get local traffic :v Youtube will prefer local traffic on our videos thats mean earning will be not good.

  • Sahooni Saazishein hein yeh sab :v

    Pakistan ko barbad karnay ki aik aur nakaaam aur namuraaad saazish

    /s

  • اچھی بات ہے یہ تو کہ اس کا لوکل ورژن بھی آگیا ہے۔ آپ اس کی زبان بھی اردو میں تبدیل کرسکتے ہیں اب۔
    ویسے بھی کسی چیز کا اچھا برا استعمال آپ کے اپنے ہاتھ میں ہے۔ جو لوگ تعلیمی مقاصد کے لئے استعمال کرتے ہیں ان کے لئے بہت آسانی ہو گئی ہے۔

  • ProPakistani you should also review the ads policy on your website. These kind of adds can be seen here on ur website.

  • Is it just me here or do u all notice our flag being torn through by youtube logo, remove that picture and have some respect for our flag and refrain from posting such images in future

  • Still blesphamous and adult content is accessible.. PTCL and government has embarrassed whole nation by giving up the fight, blocked on the Name of Prophet S.A.W and opened for money,,,that is why earthquakes are coming. Now its Govt vs God.

  • I am seeing youtube Pk for 2 days and i think its a great step from youtube and notice now if you make a bookmark on chrome there will be a different icon so that icon is making me curious and causing me to think that its nothing done by youtube but Pakistanis have done something on it. Amir bhai please share a article regarding how to earn money with stock market in pakistan. please

  • jese google par pakistan likha howa aata hay wese hi youtube par PK aagaya hay. this is not local version at all.

  • I wish the writers of ProPakistani blog worked on bit on their content and researched on the tech news before posting incomplete though correct information to grab headlines! If you look more closely , the country Pakistan is mentioned on Youtube , just round where Contact Us and About are usually written on Youtube website. From there users can also have to switch to various version based on Country specific content!

  • To get full youtube in chrome just install “Proxy Era” extension
    Like and subscribe buttons will work

  • poor guys trying to kiss and make up , but PTA being knuckleheads for no reason … typical local behavior !

  • bhai yeh supreme court k orders pay open hui hai justice fayyez essa ny remarks diay thay k youyube ban kr k student ko saza kion di ja rahi hai

  • youtube koi kehta hay arab mein open hay koi kehta hay tum goustakh hoo kamal hay chulo mien lumbi behas mein nahi jata.koch points likhta hoon sumjhne wale sumjh jaeyingay urr jo youtube k noker hien woh urr cheekhein gay.
    1.meri baat pay ghoor karo k mein muslim k waqar ki baat kar raha hoon k tum jitna youtube k chakar mein apno ko ragra lagate hoo zara youtube ko lagao dekhe tu sahi tumhari kitni manta hay youtube.
    2.dunya mien loog gustakh majood hien jese paris main gustakhk ana mawad akhbar mein chapa gya lekin abh waha muslim bhi rehti hien tu woh peris choor tu nahi daingay lekin ehtjaj tu zaroor karein gay isi tara dunya moain jaha gustakhi ho gee muslim ka faraz banta hay k ehtjaja kare.agar nahi karta tu jaa k apna iman check karaye.
    3.arab mien jo youtube chalata hay woh filter ho k ata hay even india tuk meiin youtube filter kia jata hay pakistan mein youtube ko filter karte kia moot parti hay (youtube ko pata hay yaha app jese uss k hami majood hain jo youtube ki taraf say muslims say khud hi lar laingay)
    4.koch loogo ka kehna hay k janab youtube say bohat koch seekha jata hay tu janab seekhne kalye wiki,yahoo ans, urr iss jesi beshumar websites hein yea youtube hi bara ankhoo ka tara hay isi waja say tu woh sir charaha howa hay.urr ghalti say youtube static check karo pata chule yea sekkhne wale youtube pay kia seekhte hein.
    5.yaar bhai baat ko sumjho ghoore gadhe mat bano youtube use karo lekin kam say kam tub tuk tu roko jub tuk woh filter nahi karta ta k use pata chule k bhai muslims have a power.
    6.app mere apne hien mera maqsad apno ka dil dukhana ya mazak urana nahi lekin agar apne ghero say mil jayein tu apne ghadar kehlate hien iss lye apne apne hi ache lagte hien agar kisi ka meri waja say dil dukha hoo tu main mafi chahta hoon lekin zara dehaan karo imaan bachana azyada zaroori hay.


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