ANKARA, Turkey, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Facebook has decided to block a page that insults the Prophet Mohammed after receiving a court order in Turkey.

"These companies might be U.S.-based, but their users are global - they have to respect local traditions and customs," cybersecurity expert Alan Woodward told the BBC. He said the company has to obey foreign laws, and it is important they are transparent about such situations. "There's danger in a government censoring what people in a country see, so the people deserve to know if something is being censored."


A Turkish court decided to ban all websites featuring the cover of the Charlie Hebdo magazine with the Prophet on it earlier in January.

The country was threatening to remove access to all of Facebook in Turkey if the social media company did not comply with its requests.

Members of Turkish government have previously threatened to ban the website because of people posting things critical of the government.

Facebook has restricted 1,893 "pieces of content" in Turkey between January and June of last year, according to Facebook's Government Request Report page. Turkey has made 153 requests for data on 249 accounts with Facebook giving 60 percent of data requested to the government.

Turkish Internet freedom activists fear the worldwide debate about blasphemy since the Charlie Hebdo massacre will increase the Turkish government's crackdown on freedom of speech.

Turkey is ranked 154 out of the 180 countries listed in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.

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