File-sharing websites and forums that were blocked following an injunction from the Madras High Court, are now accessible. The Internet Service Providers (ISP) operating in the city slowly started unblocking file-sharing sites after the High Court issued a clarification on the injunction. Some users of BSNL broadband, however, reported that the sites still remained blocked.
The Madras High Court reportedly issued a clarification that ISPs were directed to censor only specific URLs and not the whole websites. This was after a consortium of ISPs approached the court. About 300 websites were blocked last month by 15 ISPs, some of which have countrywide operations. Several torrent search websites including Pirate Bay, file sharing and discussion forums like telugunag-ar.com and classified sites like apnaindia.com were blocked without reason, as were utility websites like pasebin.com and legitimate video sharing website Vimeo. Even though some websites blocked by one ISP were accessible by customers of another, file sharing websites were the common target.