After rethink, govt to unblock sites without child porn content

Gijra Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 4

Facing flak over the Department of Telecom (DoT) order blocking 857 pornographic websites, there seems to be a rethink in the government which could take a step back and partially lift the ban on some sites.

Officials in the Ministry of IT and Telecom confirmed there was a rethink in the government and that the ban would partially be lifted and websites that do not feature child porn will be unblocked.

The same was also confirmed by IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to a television news channel. The decision had drawn criticism from all corners and widespread outrage on the social media. Already facing a tough situation in Parliament, the government was in damage control mode on the banning of porn sites today with Prasad convening a review meeting, which was attended by IT Secretary RS Sharma and Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, among others.

Prasad also gave the rationale behind the original directive and said the instant action was taken following a Supreme Court observation asking the department to take action on the list of alleged porn sites which had been provided by the petitioner.

The minister said the government was committed to freedom of communication on the Internet.

The Telecom Ministry had in its order of July 31 under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act 2000 banned 857 websites terming their content “immoral and indecent”.

Some websites on the list were found to be hosting jokes, memes and other humourous content without any pornography.

Officials in the ministry said there was no crackdown. They said denial of access at Department of Telecom’s (DoT) insistence was “temporary, insisting that it was a prelude to the creation of a regular regulatory oversight.

Reacting to the outrage against the move, Prasad had said yesterday the NDA government was committed towards freedom on social media and Internet.