After blocking more than 800 pornographic websites this past week, the Indian government has decided to knock its overly restrictive ban down from a borderline human rights violation to a much more conservative measure. Now, only child pornography sites will be banned, and local ISP’s will be held accountable for their content.
This news comes from minister Ravi Shankar Prasad via India Today TV, saying “sites that do not promote child porn will be unbanned”. This makes waaaaaay more sense than India’s former plan, released on July 31, to ban every site subjectively considered “immoral and indecent” and even more absurdly: “a social nuisance.” The decision was met with outrage throughout India with many accusing the government of “moral policing and infringing on personal freedoms” according to India Today.
We’ll mark this as a win for digital rights.