[Reader-list] India censors the web again

[Kiran Jonnalagadda]

The Department of Telecommunications passed an order to ISPs Friday  
to block several websites. The list is confidential. ISPs have been  
slowly coming into compliance. SpectraNet, MTNL, Reliance, and as of  
this afternoon, Airtel. BSNL and VSNL have not started yet but likely  
will soon.

The known list of blocked domains is *.blogspot.com, *.typepad.com  
and geocities.com/*

Yes folks, the government has decided to censor blogs and refused to  
explain why. Shivam Vij managed to talk to Dr Gulshan Rai, director  
of CERT-IN, the only body authorised to issue a blocking directive.  
His response: "Somebody must have asked for some sites to be blocked.  
What is your problem?"

I'm keeping a running log here:
http://jace.seacrow.com/archive/2006/07/17/blogspot-blocked-by-indian- 
isps

If you find several sites suddenly inaccessible today, please call  
your ISP and demand to know why. Another person is preparing to file  
an RTI application with DoT. If you can help, please join the  
coordinating group:
http://groups.google.com/group/BloggersCollective

-- 
Kiran Jonnalagadda
http://www.pobox.com/~jace