Why India is cracking down on Internet pornography
India has attempted to stamp out Internet pornography 鈥� at least for a while.
The government has asked Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to block more than 800 pornographic websites as part of an effort to prevent them from 鈥渟preading anti-social activities,鈥� . The decision, which ISPs enacted Sunday, has renewed debate around freedom of speech and censorship in India, the world鈥檚 largest democracy.
鈥淔ree and open access to porn websites has been brought under check,鈥� N.N. Kaul, a department of telecommunications spokesman, . 鈥淲e don't want them to become a social nuisance.鈥�
In issued to ISPs July 31, the government ordered 857 websites to be blocked 鈥渙n grounds of morality and decency鈥� under the .
The ban comes after the Indian Supreme Court last month ruled against the outright prohibition of Internet porn, . The court, responding to a petition arguing that porn access fueled crimes against women, said such a ban would violate constitutionally protected personal freedoms 鈥� but acknowledged the need for greater control over porn websites especially in terms of children鈥檚 access to them. The case is still ongoing.
Over the weekend, Internet users across India reported that some adult websites had been replaced with blank white pages, . Others reported seeing a government message saying the site had been blocked.
Government officials have said that they enacted this weekend鈥檚 porn ban to prevent children from accessing the sites. 鈥淎dults will still be able to access the sites using virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxy servers,鈥� .
鈥淭here is no total ban. This was done in the backdrop of Supreme Court's observation on children having free access to porn sites. The idea is also to protect India's cultural fabric. This will not prevent adults from visiting porn sites,鈥� a senior official who declined to be named told the network.
鈥淚t is a temporary arrangement鈥� until the government can come up with a long-term control policy, he added.
The ban sparked outrage from social media users, who were quick to start the hashtag #PornBan on Twitter.
鈥淭here is no proper justification that [the government has] given for banning all porn, rather than child porn or revenge porn or something like that,鈥� Pranesh Prakash, policy director at the Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore, . 鈥淭he reaction is heavy handed, and has been done under the cloak of secrecy.鈥�
It鈥檚 not the first time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi鈥檚 administration has been accused of curbing freedom of speech. In February, the government and opposed the removal of a provision of the Information Technology Act that called for imprisoning people who sent 鈥渙ffensive鈥� messages by computer or cellphone.
The Supreme Court later struck down the provision, , in a decision that advocates lauded as a victory for free speech, 海角大神 reported.
