New Delhi: India has decided to approach the Interpol to gain access to websites that engage in child pornography.
The move comes after the Supreme Court expressed serious concerns over the issue. It also follows an unsuccessful attempt by the government last year to ban 857 pornographic websites. It has been initiated after a meeting called by the ‘Cyber Law and e-Security Group’ of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. The committee has representatives from the telecom department, CBI, internet-service providers (ISP) association, and officials from telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Telenor.
Sources told Times of India that CBI will play a key role in the engagement with the Interpol which keeps a tab on websites that are engaged in child pornography. Interpol has a ‘worst of’ list which has details on such websites and URLs that can be replicated and used by authorities in India, sources said.
CBI’s DIG-level officer briefed the committee about the Interpol’s ‘worst of’ list and how it can be shared with the internet service providers in India once access has been gained. Interpol updates its list very frequently, even twice a week.
It has also been decided that efforts will be made to identify other international agencies that gather information on child pornography. “Those lists can also be provided to the ISPs through the CBI,” a source said.
International Watch Foundation, an organization that deals with matters related to the internet and child abuse, has already made a presentation to the representatives in the telecom and IT ministry. The ISPs have, however, said that any request to block any website needs to come through the telecom department and not directly from the CBI.