Table of Contents
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
The government has directed Internet service providers to block 827 websites that host pornographic content following an order by the Uttarakhand High Court
NOTES
While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content. Meity asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to block 827 websites named in the list issued as part of the order
BAN OF PORN SITES
- The Indian government banned access to sites hosting pornography in 2014.
- Kamlesh Vaswani, the lawyer behind the ban in his petition said: “Watching porn itself puts the country’s security in danger, encourages violent acts, unacceptable behaviour in society, exploitation of children and lowers the dignity of women and he believes watching online pornography has a direct co-relation with crimes against women.”
THE ISSUE OF PERSONAL LIBERTY
It is a violation of Article 21 [right to personal liberty]
NO CLEAR LAWS
- There are no definitive laws regarding pornographic content in India. However, watching porn in private is not a criminal offense.
- However, storing or publishing images of child sexual abuse is punishable.
SHOULD PORN BE BANNED?
Case study Ted Bundy was an American serial killer who raped and killed at least 30 women. It’s speculated that the body count is actually much higher, possibly even in the hundreds.
TED BUNDY’S CASE
- On the day before he was put to death by electric chair in 1989, Bundy received hundreds of interview requests from media outlets nationwide.
- He declined these requests and granted his final interview to Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, to whom he said he believed he had something to say.
TED BUNDY’S CASE
- In their exclusive interview, Bundy discussed pornography as a possible explanation for what drove his behaviour.
AFTERMATH OF TED BUNDY
- In the U.S
- A 1995 analysis of 33 different studies showed that viewing pornography increases aggressive behaviour, including having violent fantasies and even actually committing violent assaults.
- A University of New Hampshire study showed that states with the highest readership of pornographic magazines like Playboy and Penthouse, also have the highest rape rates.
PORNOGRAPHY BAN IN THE U.S
PORNOGRAPHY IS ILLEGAL IN CHINA
PORNOGRAPHY IS BANNED IN PAKISTAN
INDIA IS NOT ALONE
India is not the only country trying to control pornographic content. The Nepal Government banned porn in the country less than a month ago. Earlier this year, Uganda started its efforts to curb adult content as well.
SHOULD PORN BE BANNED IN INDIA?
- Privacy includes the right of autonomy, of choice, to read or view what one wishes to.
- Also includes right to be left alone by the State – the right to be protected from surveillance, implicit or explicit, into how this choice is being exercised.
- Can a porn ban be effective?
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