More than 300,000 users in India of domain webs.com are having to face blockage of their websites by the Department of Information Technology for the past nearly 45 days. Webs.com is a US-based company which offers individuals, small businesses, NGOs, colleges to create their own websites and offers free hosting services.
According to users of Webs.com in India, the move to block all the sub-domains of this has been precipitated after one of the users of the sub-domain allegedly made slanderous comments against a Maharashtra minister and accordingly the the Metropolitan Magistrate had ordered the blocking of the offending URL.
The DIT has blocked the entire IP Address (and not just the offending site) causing misery to all sub-domains in India. “Having done so, they are insisting that unless the court order is rectified they will not unblock the IP address knowing well that the innocents are suffering. The complaining authority Cyber Cell, Mumbai agree that only the offending website should be blocked, and have accordingly informed DIT - but due to differing interpretation, the two governmental authorities continue to take no further action in rectifying the problems of the innocent sufferers,” an aggrieved user of Webs.com told Business Standard in Bangalore.
According to him, they have been in constant discussion with the company and the concerned authorities in the Indian government and despite several attempts there is no headway in getting the sites un-blocked. “We are having to face various troubles because of this,” an user added. Webs.com on its part has also been in discussions with the authorities.
In the Indian government has so far has been unsuccessful. “We sincerely urge the various departments to come to an understanding and unblock the sites which are following the law of the land to carry on with our businesses,” another user added.