Child pornography: Centre asks CBSE to put jammers in schools

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has blocked 3,522 websites carrying child pornographic content last month and asked the CBSE to consider installation of jammers in schools to block access to such sites.

The government told a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that installation of jammers in school buses was "not possible" and they were coming out with steps to deal with the menace of child pornography in its entirety.

"We are coming out with steps which will deal with the situation in its entirety," Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand told the bench that also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudar.

"Jammers in school buses are not possible. Security issue cannot be overriden" raised by the petitioners, Anand said, adding the "government has asked the CBSE to consider whether jammers can be installed in schools to curb access to such websites."

The government said that in June, 3,522 websites hosting child pornographic contents have been blocked.

Anand told the apex court that the government would file a status report on the steps taken by it to stop child pornography.

The counsel for the petitioners, who have sought a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to curb child pornography, told the apex court that besides installing jammers in schools, the government should also install such equipment in school buses. The bench, however, told the petitioners that it would not pass any order in the matter on Friday but first peruse the status report to be filed by the government.

It asked the Centre to file the status report in two days and granted liberty to the counsel for the petitioner to file their suggestions so that "there can be a complete mechanism" in this regard.

"You (petitioners) know that we cannot pass any order today. We will go through the status report first and then you can also give suggestions," the bench said.

Later, sources in the know said that through the status report, the Centre would inform the apex court that the Interpol's 'worst of list' on online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is being blocked regularly.

As per the procedure, "CBI as national nodal agency of Interpol, shares this list with government and the government orders the blocking of same through select internet service providers (ISPs)," they said.