Google Denies White House Request to Remove Anti-Muslim Film From YouTube

Google on Friday denied a request from the White House to remove  the mysterious, low-budget film trailer that has sparked riots across the Middle East from YouTube.

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The Obama administration had hoped that the tech giant would find a violation of its terms of service in the 13-minute clip for Innocence of Muslims, which was produced by a man named Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.

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The company issued a statement late Friday saying that it would keep it up in most countries, though a few middle eastern countries will lose access to the clip.

"We've restricted access to it in countries where it is illegal such as India and Indonesia, as well as in Libya and Egypt, given the very sensitive situations in these two countries," Google's statement said. "This approach is entirely consistent with principles we first laid out in 2007."

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Riots spread across the region on Thursday and Friday, leading to the burning of the American Embassy in Tunisia, clashes in Sudan and a death in Yemen.

On Sept. 12, Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador to Libya, and four other Americans were killed in the country's capital of Benghazi, during protests against the film.