This follows from our previous blog about DEITY’s revelations on website blocking. SFLC.in had requested the following information from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) under the Right to Information Act, 2005:
- Number of URL blocking orders received by BSNL from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in 2013
- Number of requests received from other agencies of the government. Details of such agencies and the list of URLs sought to be blocked
- Number of requests received from other parties. Details of such agencies and the list of URLs sought to be blocked
- Whether any orders for blocking were withdrawn subsequently
In a response dated May6, 2015 BSNL revealed the following information:
- 29 orders were received from DoT in 2013. All such orders are marked “restricted”, hence cannot be provided. The Broadband Network (BBNW) Circle has the capability to block whole websites only and not web-pages i.e. websites with extensions. Therefore only whole websites could be blocked.
- No requests received from other agencies of the government.
- One order received from the Calcutta High Court.
- There was no subsequent withdrawal of any blocking order.
A copy of the application along with BSNL’s response can be accessed here.
