Porn sites banned in India: Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and BSNL to block porn websites on their networks after Jio

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Reliance Jio was reported to have blocked adult or porn websites on its network and now it is expected that other Indian telcos and Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, and BSNL might aslo block such websites on their respective networks. This development comes after some Reliance Jio users expressed their intention to move to other telecom network after Jio blocked access to porn websites. We tried reaching out to Airtel for a comment on the same but the company declined to comment.

Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has ordered Internet service providers (ISPs) to ban porn websites on their network and after Reliance Jio banned such adult websites for its subscribers, according to some reports by users on Reddit and Twitter, other ISPs are highly likely to follow suit, as well.

Also read: Reliance Jio blocks porn websites in India after DOT orders closure of 827 adult websites: Report

For the unknown, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed all internet service providers (ISP) to comply with the Union government's order, in a judgment on September 28, under which almost all porn websites were to be banned since the government thinks that there is a need to curb unlimited access to adult content or block porn websites as they are resulting in adverse influence on the Indian youth.

As mentioned above, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered ISPs to block over 800 porn websites and after Jio’s ban on adult content, if you are looking to switch to Airtel or Vodafone India, it might be of little use, as all other telcos and internet service providers are expected to ban porn websites on their networks soon.

“All the internet service licensees are instructed to take immediate necessary action for blocking of 827 websites as per the direction from Meity and for the compliance of the Hon’ble High Court order,” said MeiTY in an order issued to Department of Telecom.

It is now being speculated that all ISPs including Airtel, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular and BSNL will soon be blocking such websites on their networks as well. Everything said and done, India is not the first country to take such a step as adult websites have been completely banned in China - with around 4,000 websites with porn content getting banned in the last month. In total, over 22,000 porn websites have been banned in China.