3,500 child porn websites banned last month: Govt tells SC

The government told the Supreme Court on Friday that it was taking steps to deal with the issue of child pornography in its entirety and around 3,500 websites hosting such content had been blocked last month.

Centre also said that it had asked the CBSE to consider whether jammers can be installed in schools to curb access to websites having child pornographic content.

The apex court was hearing a petition which has sought direction to Centre to take appropriate steps to curb the menace of child pornography across the country.

The government told a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that it has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to consider installation of jammers in schools to block access to child pornographic content.

Additional solicitor general Pinky Anand told the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and MM Shantanagoudar that it was not possible to install jammers on school buses.

“Jammers in school buses are not possible,” Anand said, adding, “the government has asked the CBSE to consider whether jammers could be installed in schools to curb access to such websites.”

“We are coming out with steps which will deal with the situation in its entirety,” she told the bench.

The government told the court that it would file a status report on the steps taken by it to curb child pornography. The court asked Centre to file a status report within two days.