This is really big and something that I did not really expect – Indian Government has decided to ban several websites that allow users to host and share Adult content!
According to ToI news, DoT has released an order to all ISPs in India to block 39 Adult websites and forums with immediate affect. Most of these websites are essentially those where users upload and share Adult images and files. Some of the websites that are included in the ban list are also image and file hosting websites.
We did try to find the said DoT order on Govt. websites, however, it seems they have not made it public (atleast as yet). So, currently we are relying on the news that has appeared on Times of India.
In India, while the distribution of adult content is strictly banned, there is no such restrictions on watching it (obviously not publicly). However, sharing and distributing Child pornography is completely banned, as it is across the world.
Interestingly, the DoT order does not offer any reasons for which these websites and forums are banned. They have directed all ISPs to ban the websites with immediate effect.
My View
Banning files sharing or Adult websites is definitely not the solution – Internet users have 100 workarounds to access blocked and banned sites. If at all any website is violating Indian laws, the website owner should be notified and should be asked to take down the content, rather than banning the whole site.
Also, in such cases, Govt. needs to be transparent about the reasons that they are blocking such websites. They need to get a court order which requires valid ground for a ban.
We are trying to get more details and actual transcript of the order. We will update this post once we are able to get our hands on it!
There are two types of sites which are in porn business.
One is the pay per view type where they claim high quality material. Prices are per stream or per week or per month basis.
Another is the host and share type. Anyone can go to these sites and access required clips/movies.
My hunch is that the Minister took kick back from the syndicate of pay sites to ban the free hosting sites :)
This forces people who can not live with out porn to shell out fat money to pay sites.
They get more business, more business means more profit, more profit means more spare money, more spare money means more money to pay to the ministers :)
Lets hope, after elections another govt forms and the other minister takes kick backs from the syndicate of host and share sites and lifts the ban and if the kick backs are more, he will ban the pay sites. :)
Just joking.