Sri Lanka to charge special fee for internet porn: report
Aug 03, 2008 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has ordered internet firms to filter pornographic content, but adults could buy unrestricted access for special fee with password protection, a media report said.
The Sunday Island newspaper quoting a Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) statement said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered filtering sexually explicit content to protect children.
Sri Lankan internet firms have already blocked access to the political website Tamilnet.com, which can now only be accessed within the island using a proxy server.
Proxy servers allow surfers to 'tunnel' though filters placed by internet companies.
The Sunday Island quoted the telecom watchdog statement as saying that "there has been increasing concern about the exposure of children to the obscene and pornographic materials via the Internet."
"If an adult wishes to have unrestricted access to the Internet, service maybe obtained from an Internet Service Provider in password protected manner making a payment," the newspaper said.
"However, the user is responsible for use of the service in proper manner and should ensure that the filtered websites are not accessible to the children."
The newspaper did not say whether the fee would go to the internet service provider or the government.
In Sri Lanka pornography is not legal, and especially those found selling pornographic or 'obscene' material are sometimes prosecuted.
Aug 03, 2008 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has ordered internet firms to filter pornographic content, but adults could buy unrestricted access for special fee with password protection, a media report said.
The Sunday Island newspaper quoting a Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) statement said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered filtering sexually explicit content to protect children.
Sri Lankan internet firms have already blocked access to the political website Tamilnet.com, which can now only be accessed within the island using a proxy server.
Proxy servers allow surfers to 'tunnel' though filters placed by internet companies.
The Sunday Island quoted the telecom watchdog statement as saying that "there has been increasing concern about the exposure of children to the obscene and pornographic materials via the Internet."
"If an adult wishes to have unrestricted access to the Internet, service maybe obtained from an Internet Service Provider in password protected manner making a payment," the newspaper said.
"However, the user is responsible for use of the service in proper manner and should ensure that the filtered websites are not accessible to the children."
The newspaper did not say whether the fee would go to the internet service provider or the government.
In Sri Lanka pornography is not legal, and especially those found selling pornographic or 'obscene' material are sometimes prosecuted.
