- Title: INDIA-PORN/BAN India orders clampdown on Internet porn sparking censorship debate
- Date: 4th August 2015
- Summary: VARIOUS OF MAN SITTING AND LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONE
- Embargoed: 19th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA1365KLURW1K2NQ7XLJCSBUCEX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: India's government has blocked hundreds of adult websites to prevent pornography becoming a social nuisance, a government official said on Monday (August 3).
In India's first big crackdown on Internet porn, service providers have been directed to block 857 websites, according to a spokesman at the department of telecommunications.
The government, in a 17-page order issued on Friday (July 31) and leaked to freedom of speech activists on Monday (August 3), listed offending sites and directed service providers to block access on the grounds of morality and decency.
Last month, the Supreme Court refused to impose an outright ban after hearing a petition that said Internet porn fuelled sex crime. The court said individuals should be free to access such websites in private.
But the court asked the home ministry to submit its views and the government acted after the ministry sent a letter to the telecom secretary.
Kamal Mitra Chenoy, a professor at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University as well as a social commentator, said the move was a step in the wrong direction.
"It is not just an immaturity; it is extreme conservatism, backward looking. We should not be what India shouldn't be in the 21st century. In the long run it is not going to help the country, it is not going to help the government and there is no way you can eradicate porn absolutely. Just not possible, given the kind of medium it is," he said.
Over the weekend, several sites became inaccessible and displayed messages that they were blocked. The hash tag #Pornban became a trend on Twitter.
India has the second largest number of internet users after China. Social media and smartphone use is growing rapidly.
The move has also caused outrage among the youth who believe the government was going the Chinese way with its censorship of the internet.
"It's my right, I mean what I do inside my room, the government can't influence it whatsoever. So, if I want to watch porn, I will watch porn. I mean - the Chinese government - they also banned porn but you find proxies and all, so, I don't think it is going to work anyways," said Delhi University student Olind.
Another student Chandni said more evidence was needed to implement the ban.
"It is this particular government which has this notion of protecting the women's image and they think there is a link between banning porn and stopping violence - but this link hasn't ever been proved and a lot of women also watch porn," she said.
In 2011, India urged social network companies to screen content and remove offensive material. A year later, the government faced criticism for ordering dozens of Twitter accounts to be blocked for spreading rumours.
Pawan Duggal, a lawyer specialising in cyber law said the move to ban pornography was a misguided one and could prove counterproductive.
"I think it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the innocence of Indian children and Indian childhood needs to be protected from the overtures of pedophiles. If you want to target child pornography, India is going to be far more successful rather than these paper tiger notifications which effectively have no relevance to curbing pornography. On the contrary, they actually are increasing the curiosity of Indians who are flogging onto these new blocked websites," he said.
Demand for porn, however, seems strong. Pornhub, an adult entertainment website included in the ban, last year said India ranked fifth for daily visitors.
Later on Tuesday (August 4) reports in local media suggested that the government was considering partially lifting the ban. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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