Access to over 800 porn websites was ordered for restoration by the Indian government today following a blanket shutdown two days ago.
Websites with child pornography content were excluded from the lift. Sites tracked by CERT-in, the government's agency on cyber security will also remain inaccessible.
Citizens of India woke up Sunday finding zero access to adult-content websites.
With no known official warning, the world's most popular pornography sites, including Pornhub and Redtube, were replaced by blank pages on most major Internet service providers, reported Hindustan Times.
It was later revealed that surveillance by government agents detected that porn websites included content in hyperlinks and videos that encouraged antisocial behavior, reported CNET.
Porn Is A Human Right
Reasoning that a porn ban is a violation of civil liberty, the Indian Supreme Court ruled against the restriction on pornography July 9. Chief Justice H.L Dattu noted that a person of legal age may watch legal content in his personal space.
However, the court noted the ruling remains an interim order. During hearings held in August 2014, it was discussed that widespread porn viewing had become a serious issue in the Indian society. During those meetings, the government said it would look into policies that could see crackdowns in adult-viewing Internet portals.
The sudden restricted access to porn sites was not taken lightly by the public. Social media was filled with the debate over whether the government's actions were consistent with Indian laws, reported Reuters.
"The land that gave the world 'Kamasutra' has now banned porn," tweeted Aria Thakur.
Another Twitter user worried the porn ban might just increase cases of rape.
Porn viewing is considered habitual in India. Globally popular adult site Pornhub listed India as one of its top four markets in 2014.
