The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) India’s Pranesh Prakash, has published the leaked Department of Telecommunication (DOT) letter ordering internet providers to block 857 websites.
Presumably not entirely safe for all workplaces: Leaked order (3MB download, via CIS)
The list includes mostly pornographic websites but also includes comedy site collegehumor.com, which hosts comedy videos aimed at a young audience. According to Wikipedia:
The site features daily original comedy videos and articles created by its in-house writing and production team, in addition to user-submitted videos, pictures, articles and links.
Also on the block list are kickass.com and kickass.to, which are sites hosting torrent files that allow users to download mostly copyrighted content from other users.
Legally India has confirmed that the site has been blocked on a Delhi Spectranet connection:
The order states that:
Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) has requested DoT to notify intermediaries (ISPs) for disablement of the following URLs under the provision of section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as the content hosted on these websites related to morality, decency as given in Article 19(2) of the Constitution of India.
One senior manager at a service provider told Legally India yesterday that the blocking order was stated to have been made under rule 12 of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.
Legally India has contacted the source today, who said that the email body that contained the PDF attachment cited rule 12 of the above IT Rules.
The order notes that the “contents of this letter may kindly be kept confidential” and that all internet providers are “requested to take necessary action as per the direction of the DeitY”.
The existence and scope of the order was first reported by Legally India yesterday, after users on Reddit began to notice on Saturday that pornographic websites were blocked.
To be updated
Comments
Section 69A of IT Act provides power to government for blocking websites but the grounds are narrower than Art. 19(2).
Art.19
19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech etc
(1) All citizens shall have the right
......
(2) Nothing in sub clause (a) of clause ( 1 ) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub clause in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.
Section 69A of the IT Act, DOES NOT have "decency or morality" as a ground!
69A. Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource
(1) Where the Central Government or any of its officer specially authorised by it in this behalf is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above, it may subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct any agency of the Government or intermediary to block for access by the public or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource.
This will definitely be challenged as a deliberate "moral" policing of the internet by the Government!
Probably because this:
http://www.legallyindia.com/Tech-Media-Comms/gov-asks-to-unblock-blocked-porn-that-shouldnt-be-blocked
when i checked most of the torrent websites has been blocked. First government said it is blocking only child porn websites but they are not at all doing what they are saying. I think they thought all the hollywood movies as porn.
Isn't there any thing we can do to undo this directive issued by this blind government?
Please give suggestions.