Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has called for YouTube to consider taking down a video that ridicules the Prophet Mohammed which sparked a violent protest in Sydney yesterday.

A spokesman for Senator Conroy said the video, Innocence of Muslims, by an American filmmaker who calls himself "Sam Bacile" was "clearly offensive and (YouTube's owner) Google should review its terms of service to see if they are being appropriately applied in this case."

"Australia has strong anti-vilification laws. If people believe this video is in breach of these laws they can make a complaint to Google or the Human Rights Commission," the spokesman said.

"What people shouldn't do is engage in violent protests on the streets. It is totally unacceptable behaviour and should be condemned."

A YouTube spokesman said the video was "clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube."

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The spokesman said the company had restricted access to the video in countries where it is illegal such as India and Indonesia, as well as in Libya and Egypt because of "the very sensitive situations in these two countries."

"We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions. This can be a challenge because what's OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere," the spokesman said.