Singapore: No Plans to Block .XXX Domains

SINGAPORE—The Singapore government has indicated it has no plans to block access to the .xxx top-level domain, the Straits Times has reported.  "Content regulator Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and Internet service providers (ISPs) say they do not have plans to block websites bearing the .xxx suffix, which is designated for sites run by the adult industry," the article reported June 7.  "It is not practical to block all objectionable sites given the borderless and dynamic nature of the internet," said MDA deputy director for regulations Yuvarani Thangavelu. As "a symbolic statement of our community's stand on harmful and undesirable content on the Internet," the MDA has mandated that ISPs block 100 sites. The list of banned sites is not limited to porn and will not be expanded to include .xxx sites. The article also quotes Thangavelu as saying the MDA "will go after locally hosted pornographic .xxx sites, to get these sites taken offline." Leading ISPs in the country—including SingNet, StarHub and M1—also said they have no plans to block .xxx sites and encouraged parents to use parental filter controls offered by all the providers. Regarding the legality of porn in the country, the Straits Times stated, "It is illegal under the Films Act to possess pornographic material, and those found with it can be fined thousands of dollars. However, the Government has said previously it would not pro-actively hunt down those who download pornographic material."