New Delhi: The Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI) said the Supreme Court that they were mere conduits for providing internet access to customers and could not ban websites featuring child pornography without orders from the court or the government.
ISPs are mere conduits and they cannot be made liable for the contents they do not own. It would be akin to making liable telecom companies for conversations people have on their network, they said.
In the absence of clear-cut definition of porn, which some could classify as art or literary work, ISPAI said its members could be mired in litigation if they on their own started blocking websites.
The petitioner through advocate Vijay Panjwani had alleged that in the absence of appropriate laws, people had easy access to over 20 crore free porn videos or clippings on the internet. He had sought a ban on pornographic sites saying these were one of the major causes behind spurt in crimes against women.
Bureau Report
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