Indian porn lovers get a rude shock as most internet service providers (ISPs) – including ACT, Vodafone, MTNL, Hathway and BSNL – porn sites were currently inaccessible.
The government of India in an unprecedented move blocked various porn. The websites are replaced with a single line message which reads like this:
“This site has been blocked as per the instructions of Competent Authority”
It looks as if the service provider is blocking sites with terms such as “porn” in its title.
The matter came to light late on Saturday, when a number of porn watchers could not access pornographic website.
The internet users who couldn’t access the sites took to social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter to bring the matter to light. The sites seem to be opening fine for ISPs like Tata Photon and Airtel.
A Vodafone user from Kolkata said, “When I checked last night it was opening fine, but this morning it seems all the popular porn sites are blocked.”
The ban has come at a very odd time given that the Chief Justice Of India HL Dattu only last month had said that banning the watching of pornographic content at home would be “a violation of Article 21”, the right to personal liberty.
“Such interim orders cannot be passed by this court. Somebody can come to the court and say ‘Look, I am an adult and how can you stop me from watching it within the four walls of my room? It is a violation of Article 21 (right to personal liberty) of the Constitution.’ Yes the issue is serious and some steps need to be taken… the Centre has to take a stand… let us see what stand the Centre will take”, he had said then.
While the ban seems to be in place right now, it is in actual fact is very difficult to maintain such bans with technologies like proxy servers easily available on the internet.
The discussion which started on Reddit, spilled out Twitter as well and led to a virtual rage among Indian netizens.
Here’s a selection:
“India Govt has conveniently banned international porn sites bt nt the Indian ones, what are they trying to say ‘MakeOut in India’?” #pornban
“India bans porn sites. Now how will our politicians while away their time in boring parliamentary sessions? #pornban”
“80% of the 2MBPS, 4MBPS subscribers are thinking what to do with the data plan now”