[Reader-list] Police in India push cybercafe restrictions

geert lovink geert at desk.nl
Wed Jan 28 13:20:05 IST 2004


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3431645.stm

 Internet cafe owners in India's commercial and entertainment capital,
Bombay, are angry at plans to regulate the city's cyber centres.

They object to plans which would force them to keep records of people using
their internet facilities.

The proposals will be put to the state legislature next month.

Police say they need new powers to prevent the misuse of the web by what
they call terrorists, hackers, paedophiles and users of adult sites.

If the proposals are adopted by the state of Maharashtra, cyber cafe owners
will need to buy a license to set up shop.

They will be legally required to install software filters to screen out
pornography and unsuitable content.

They will crucially have to ask potential surfers to fill out lengthy forms
listing addresses, telephone numbers and other details.

All of these would legally have to be made available to the police, if
required.

Cyber cafe customers would need to display photo identity cards. Only then
could they go online. ...

Sincerely,

Christopher Chiu

Technology Policy Analyst
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street
New York NY 10004
USA
Phone: 212-549-2535
E-mail: cchiu at aclu.org





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