GoI will take measures to block pornographic websites

DELHI, INDIA: GoI will take measures to block pornographic websites

The Government of India has assured the Supreme Court that it will take all possible measures to block porn sites, particularly those dealing with child pornography.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, who represented the Government, assured the bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu, Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy that the government will do whatever is possible.

Anand was responding to the sharp criticism the government faced when the judges expressed their unhappiness over the government’s inability to initiate any action on the issue. "You have not blocked the websites. The petitioner is saying so much," the bench said.

The bench also asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar to assist it in the matter and advice the concerned government departments.

The apex court had earlier asked the Secretary, DoT to file an affidavit on whether the government was competent to issue direction to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block porn sites particularly those showing child pornography. The service providers had submitted that they require government direction, and cannot block such sites on their own.

The petitioner had pleaded that although watching obscene videos is not an offense, pornographic sites should be banned as they were one of the major causes for crimes against women.

The counsel for petitioner had made reference about the posting of some photographs of a woman on websites circulated by her estranged husband.

The counsel had submitted that the Center had failed to devise mechanism to block such sites and the absence of Internet laws encouraged people to watch porn videos as it was not an offense.

The petition alleged that over 20 crore porn videos or clippings were freely available in the market, which is directly being downloaded through the Internet or other video CDs.

"The sexual content that kids are accessing today is far more graphic, violent, brutal, deviant and destructive and has put entire society in danger, so also safety threats to public order in India.

"At best, the IPC only recognizes the offenses of obscenity, kidnapping, abduction and other related offenses which are not sufficient to tackle the issue of pornography, and such videos," the petitioner remarked in the petition, and urged that watching and sharing obscene videos should be made non-bailable and cognizable offense.