National

No intention to disclose identity of internet users: Tarana

Posts and Telecommunications Division (PTD) has no plan or intention to expose the identity of the people who visit pronography websites at their personal choice, State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim said on Tuesday.“Technically, legally and ethically we cannot do so . . . We respect privacy and personal information of individuals,” she said against the backdrop of misconception and misinterpretation of her comment in some social networking sites.Some of the media also reported that the PTD was making a list of the visitors of pornography sites and would make the list public.“This misconception of making a list is inconsistent with our view and this was not said either,” said Tarana.She, however, said that a committee was formed to make a list of local porn sites, but not the visitors of the sites. Besides, the process of blocking the sites would also began after receiving recommendations from the committee.“Internet contents generated abroad cannot totally be blocked, but it will be good enough if we can be successful to block 70.0 percent of the contents of the sites,” the state minister said.“We will not, cannot and shall not expose anyone trying to access these sites. We are fully committed to respect the privacy of individuals,” Tarana said.Earlier, on November 28, the PTD formed a committee to prepare a database of “objectionable contents” in cyber space.The committee, headed by a director general of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), is assigned to prepare a set of recommendation to thwart objectionable contents, pornography and any ill motive in the cyber space.Representatives of PTD, information ministry, national telecommunication monitoring centre (NTMC), internet service providers, mobile phone operators and law enforcement agencies are also in the committee.Source: BSS