Blocking Pornographic Websites Counterintuitive and Futile

The piece asks whether the government’s blocking of access to 560 pornographic websites in Bangladesh will achieve its two stated goals: protecting children from explicit content and discouraging visits to such sites.

It argues: ‘Therefore, it is quite unlikely that blocking 560 websites will in any way significantly improve our ability to safeguard our children from adult content available and accessible on the internet.’ It proposes instead that the government target illegal activity online, such as child pornography and revenge porn.

It concludes: ‘On the issue of safeguarding our children, there is no alternative to proper education about the online world, its immense utility and the threats that accompany it.’