Child porn sites to be identified, blocked

In a bid to contain online child pornography, the government asked internet service providers (ISP) to identify websites posting child sex abuse content through a list maintained by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and block it.

The government hopes to monitor online child pornography through this measure till it has its own mechanism in place.

The ISPs would be required to adopt and implement the IWF resources by July 31. Implementation of the resources will result in the relevant content being blocked/removed on an ongoing basis, an official statement said.

The IWF maintains a dynamic global list of websites and URLs which contain online child sex abuse content.

“Containing the spread of online child sexual abuse material is an important public policy goal for India, and the central government intends to take immediate action to contain this menace,” the order said.

The order was issued after consultations with an inter-ministerial committee, following which the ministries of electronics and information technology and women and child development (WCD) issued immediate interim measures to curb the menace. Officials said the WCD ministry will soon establish the National Alliance Against Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.