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    No plans to block .xxx websites: MDA, ISPs

    Singapore internet users will not be barred from .xxx websites. (AFP)Singapore internet users will not be barred from .xxx websites. (AFP)

    The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and local Internet Service Providers (ISP) say they have no plans to block netizens from accessing future ".xxx" adult websites.

    First suggested by the International Foundation for Online Responsibility in 2003, the controversial ".xxx" suffix aims to make it easier for parents to block such content from minors.

    After years of negotiations, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) , the ".xxx" suffix was approved for use in March. Companies in the adult industry have already started applying to register with Icann a week ago.

    Although the first .xxx sites have yet to appear, MDA deputy director for regulations Yuvarani Thangavelu told The Straits Times, "It is not practical to block all objectionable sites given the borderless and dynamic nature of the Internet."

    While the MDA has previously mandated ISPs including SingNet, StarHub and M1, to block 100 sites as "a symbol of statement of our community's stand on harmful and undesirable content on the Internet", MDA does not intend to expand the list to include .xxx sites.

    While ISPs do not have plans to block them either, they do have family internet filter services, which cost about $3 monthly, for parents who are worried about such sites.

    StarHub's corporation communications manager Cassie Fong said its SafeSurf Internet filter service is expected to blanket block all .xxx sites.

    In addition, according to Ms Thangavelu, .xxx sites that are found to be hosted locally will be taken offline.

    While the Singapore government has previously said that it would not proactively hunt down people who download pornographic material, under the Films Act, it is illegal to possess it, and those found with such material can be fined thousands of dollars.

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    85 comments

    • Mr Boxy  •  11 months ago
      actually it is the responsibility of a parent to ensure their own kids to grow in a safe and healthy environment... pls do not expect the enviroment to change for you and your kid... why the hack to block all adult entertainment site because that you are worry for your kids?

      anyway there is many "saint" parents around which only think that their kid is angel... once their kid learn something bad, they starts to blame others...
      • Pretty 11 months ago
        Yea man. Most probably these parents watch porn themselves too.
      • Pathseeker 11 months ago
        I watch porn alright, but i don't go around spewing my seeds nor raping people. The activity they do might be less sightly in normal social justice but then it is an activity just like any other.

        Parents need to let the child know the reason to not engage in certain practices rather than forbidding all the way. Other 'negative' activities have already shown teens, particularly rebellious type, will end up respond worse to it like being alcoholics when parents tried to ban drinking in the household.

        In these ages, parents have to understand that there are many distractions that can steer us away, blinding attempting to cover the facts will be only just attempting to bury the head into sand.
      • Vincent 11 months ago
        any effort possible should be done, regardless who does it and for who is it.
        parent must control, MDA should block, all must be done.
    • Pretty  •  11 months ago
      I read this statement soemwhere before -

      "There is as much sexual exploitation in mainstream media as there is in the pornography industry."

      Men and women get sexually exploited both in mainstream media and the porn industry. Most important thing the people who are involved must be willing, consenting adults.
    • Varien  •  11 months ago
      kimochi ~~~ :P
      • kiyoshi 11 months ago
        Yamete ~ XD !
      • Cybertrouble 11 months ago
        Egar.... Egar,,,, :}
      • Unicorn 11 months ago
        Kimchi, sushi, sashimi..... Oops, am i in the wrong category?
    • Chris  •  11 months ago
      Japan best.
      • A M K 11 months ago
        Yes...Tsunamis and Earthquakes there that come along with filthy kinky behaviour best too...Pls go
      • Ritz Carlton 11 months ago
        Why must you blame Japan for the tsunami and earthquake when our roads got flooded every now and then due to our(human) bad drainage system planning!
        Use your brain up there before bashing people!
      • Dusty Cut 11 months ago
        Porn are avenues for people to release themselves.... that's why there are R rated shows here.... They must be used primary for adults and censored for kids below the legal age. Put it crudely, what will happen if there are no sites for man to ease themselve? thinking of your sister or daughter yet? We have to be matured in this area. Leave the censorship to the household not leave everything to the government.
    • Rich 168  •  11 months ago
      Our very own Channel 8 9pm show should first STOP showing series that almost always have rape,molest or violence,just to boost up their viewership! There is why most Singapore child learn all this xxx even without accessing the internet!
    • Chieftain  •  11 months ago
      The best possible 'filter' is the proper guidance & upbringing of an indvidual esp. during childhood. This wld built a strong foundation of personal moral values that will withstand the assaults & temptations thrown at a person within his or her lifetimes. All this technical 'filter' is just correctly termed as 'symbolic' bec it wld be a futile & wasteful attempt to censore or block the vast Internet.The Chinese are going to learn this costly lesson when the authorities tried to block of politicall & morally 'sensitive' materials & contents. They can't really block off the huge information & other suspect contents forever. It is not possible.
      • fergiefergie 11 months ago
        the chinese have gotten around it already. proxies!
    • Red Cloud  •  11 months ago
      Blocking the websites may not be the solution. Those with desire for pronography will obtain from them else where. I know of a character who like to keep concubines. The parent and his wife were very strict but he will always find a way around it.
      Moral education in school is the way. Education will be successful if it can replace a defective mind with a quality mind and purify a contaminate mind.
      • kiyoshi 11 months ago
        Oh , I thought you said "porcupines" ! Wow , bigamy's alive and kicking eh ?
      • Red Cloud 11 months ago
        Advice. All those who are contemplating of keeping a comcubine must be reminded that a concubine will eventually evolved into a porcupine.
        All I know in my neighbourhood all the wives are calling the shot. What more can be said of concubine? I have a rich towkay friend whose decision can not be parkay. The wife must give the approval.
        I have a Muslim friend who once lamanted ' money can have more not wives'. What more can be said of concubine.
    • bORN tHIS wAY  •  11 months ago
      How to block ? it is funny or a jokes ??? it is no possible to block!!!. due to closed-mind sg govt, so website you are unable to access if u acees internet from singapore. poeple want to block singapore user instead !!!
    • TAY CHEOW BIN  •  11 months ago
      GOOD CENSORING MORNING TO ALL OUT THERE,.
      MY VICTORIAN THOUGHTS TO SHARE:-

      WHEN CENSORSHIP IS TOO STRICT;
      CUT, CUT, CUT.
      SNIP,SNIP,SNIP.
      BLOCK,BLOCK, BLOCK
      SHAME , SHAME , SHAME.

      YOUTHS & OLD PEOPLE / FOREIGN WORKERS WILL,
      STARE, STARE, STARE,
      DROOL. DROOL. DROOL,
      PEEP, PEEP, PEEP.
      MOLEST,MOLEST MOLEST.

      HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS?

      WHEN AS A CHILD

      NO CAN DO, MAIDS NOT AROUND,
      AND BUSY DADS/MOMS AT OFFICE/CASINO GROUNDS;
      WHAT TO DO BUT DREAM AT SCHOOL,
      OF DAYS TO IMMITATE ANIMAL INSTINCT’S RULES.

      WHEN AS JUVENILES

      STEALING PEEKS FROM INTERNET FLICKS,
      WHAT TO DO , COUNTRY’S TOO STRICT.
      HELP! GOOD BROTHERS/SISTERS AND TEACHERS TOO,
      TELL ME HOW DOES BIRDS AND BEES DO.

      WHEN FEMALES CONTRIBUTED AUTO CENSORSHIP

      FROM FRONT ITS AIRPORT’S RUNWAY FLAT.
      AND BACK WITH BERMUDA SPARE TIRES FAT.
      FROM TOP TO TOE ALL DRESS IN BLACK,
      FROM WAKES? NO, THINKING SLIM BUT FACE DON’T MATCH.

      WHEN MALES CONTRIBUTED AUTO CENSORSHIP

      SKINNY ARMS FROM KEYBOARD/HANDPHONES SKILLS,
      THICK GLASSES AND SWIM TRUNKS WILL REVEAL.
      THAT THESE YOUTHS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEEK,
      TO BE A MAN ENOUGH LET ALONE FOR CREATION PEAK.

      WHEN WORKING FEMALES CONTRIBUTED AUTO CENSORSHIP

      LOCAL WOMEN DRAINED FROM WORK EXCELLED,
      SOLEMN FACES, MEN RAN AWAY LIKE HELL.
      ONLY FOREIGN MALES ALL DROOL AND DROOL
      HAVING THEM IS STRIKING SINGPORE’S POOLS.

      WHEN WORKING MALES CONTRIBUTED AUTO CENSORSHIP

      LOCAL MEN INSENSITIVE AND NO (TALENT??),
      ITS ALL RIGHT, FOREIGN WOMEN A DIME A DOZEN.
      RIGHT TO AGE AND MONEY INCREASED,
      MARRY FOREIGN ‘TALENTED’ BEAUTIES, TO SAY THE LEAST.

      WHEN CENSORSHIP IS NOT NEEDED HERE

      ENER---- SAPPED FROM RACING DAILY RAT,
      SINGAPORE TOO CLEAN, AND SEX? WHAT’S THAT?
      TOGETHER AT MOVIES AND CENSORED SCREEN,
      OH MY GOD! THERE’S KISSING SCENE!

      WHEN CENSORSHIP IS AGAIN NOT NEEDED HERE

      ‘IPAD’ HERE AND ‘IBET’ THERE,
      STRUGGLING FOREVER, WHERE GOT SPARES?
      MUST HAVE 5Cs TO SHOW OFF THEIR COOL,
      NO TIME FOR BABY. LET ALONE TWO!

      THE NO-JOY OF SENIOR CENSORSHIP

      ONLY HOPE TO AVOID NURSING HOMES.
      PRECIOUS YOUNG/SIBLINGS LIVE ALONE.
      OFF THEY MIGRATE WHEN FEET ARE BOLD
      THEY TOO NEED FREEDOM WHEN THEY BE OLD.

      THE INDIGNITY OF ELDERLY CENSORSHIP

      OVER-RIPED AND CPF RELEASED,
      OH I’M SORRY, YOU’RE OLD AND SICK WITH DISEASES.
      HEFTY BILLS WITH HOSPITAL STAYS AGAIN,
      STILL SNEEKING TO R-RATED CINEMAS WITH SHAME!

      HAVE YOU NOT ALREADY HEARD?
      HAVING BABIES IS NOT LIKE MAKING CUP CAKES
      IT IS EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, CONDITIONAL.
      OFTEN RATIONAL AND AT TIMES ACCIDENTAL.

      EXTREME CENSORSHIP FURTHER DRAINS IT ALL.

      TREAT YOUNG SINGAPOREANS LIKE RESPONSIBLE ADULTS
      AND MAYBE THE BIRTH RATE WOULD AGAIN COME ABOUT.

      YES CUPCAKES DO NOT FALL FROM SANITISED TREES………..
    • myob  •  11 months ago
      when garment run out of ideas to increase revenue for the fat cheques of blian dead ministers (aka kbw who siam the singles issue totally :(), they will knock doors of those who surf .xxx , mind u the law still said that porno is illegal....
    • Jose Maurinho  •  11 months ago
      Watching porn is much better than seeing some arrogant and clue less, million dollar salaried, politician's face in the newspapers or tv..

      Esp. those in charge of floods, the ex public housing guy and the crooner who cannot sing.

      Lol!
    • Tyler Joo  •  11 months ago
      So much for being a democratic country.
    • Pretty  •  11 months ago
      Please don't say you want to BAN or pornography. It just shows your ignorance and you are just FORCING your conservative views on us liberals.

      Like it or not, or whether you accept it or not, MANY people watch pornography. Yes even ministers and people who regulate these websites watch pornography.

      YOU WHO WANT TO BLOCK ALL PORN might be watching porn right now too.

      So stop your hypocrisy.

      Some people see porn as immoral while others see porn as a sort of entertainment, expression etc.

      Pornography is very subjective and it is neither right nor wrong in many cases.
    • Pathseeker  •  11 months ago
      Its not practical to ban porn or anything, it can even produce negative results because those child might end up becoming two-faced kids who are goody shoes under parent supervision but could have conducted many other undesirable acts when they are out of parent supervision.

      Blocking porn or banning is impractical. With the current technolo---- and societies, sex objects can be referred in many ways like movies that depict sex scenes and the adult films. Not to mention it is a biological function to be aroused if the correct 'triggers' are activated, even a kid that have been brought up in a well throughout their live will have reactions. Parents cannot stop the part of growing up but instead need to understand the importance of teaching the child the basis of their actions rather than full blown blocking.

      Just take a look at chewing gum, its been banned for years by our 'parents' so we cannot stick it anyplace anyhow, but all the 'children' knows that chewing gum is freely available in JB and there isn't much problems bringing it here either. It didn't stop the sticking gum issue in public although its a minority issue
    • Simon Say  •  11 months ago
      Hypocrisy>>>thats what I call for those who block the XXX or xx movies.
      I believe they also watch them secretly and later they say they have a job to do.
      In Japan, Hong Kong, European countries, etc. you will see all these on internet and on the streets.
    • Pretty  •  11 months ago
      This kind of thing is very subjective and has many grey areas.

      Like it or not, or whether you accept it or not, MANY people watch pornography. Yes even ministers and people who regulate these websites watch pornography.

      So it is really useless to ban porn totally. It is also ignorant of someone if he/she suggest banning all pornography.

      Then again, some people see porn as immoral while others see porn as a sort of entertainment, expression etc.

      Pornography is very subjective and it is neither right nor wrong in many cases.
    • Unicorn  •  11 months ago
      So, MDA won't block .xxx websites. Must be a new plan to "motivate" young couples to produce more babies.
    • Hasling  •  11 months ago
      Easy, just block the entire domain in your firewall program.
    • iMakan  •  11 months ago
      There's no such thing as no consequences from watching porn and indulging in promiscuity, either alone or with others. It will cost you. The problem is, you won't find out how much it cost you until you realize the shadows following you are real. Then, you will scream for help. I hope you can find the right help.
    • ivan  •  11 months ago
      Read from somewhere that Oral sex is illegal in SG.

      So my questions were, since the law makers legislate these laws ..... Are they themselves not giving or receiving Oral Sex from their own spouses?

      If so, its so sad they have been missing so much in LIFE till this point in time in their marriage. What an unlucky spouses whom they have married.

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