A section of the internet user community has questioned the government’s move to block pornographic websites and slammed it for asking the Internet Service Providers to keep the order copy confidential.
Pranesh Prakash, policy director at Centre for Internet and Society, a leading internet advocacy, told FE that there was no basis for the government to ban them. “Is there an adjudication? Were the parties notified and given time to respond? The courts have not passed any order telling the government to block it. Indeed, there are two high court judgments — from the Madras HC and Bombay HC — both based on a PIL, stating that they cannot order the government to proactively block pornography and that it would violate the Constitution and right to free speech.”
Pavan Duggal, a noted SC lawyer on cyber laws, calls the government’s a move a mix-and-match approach. “This is a varied approach by the government after SC struck down the provision of Sec 66 A of the IT act in Shreya Singha vs Union of India case on the ground that it violated reasonable restrictions.”