The National Telecom Regulatory Authority is stepping up meetings with MPs and other entities to create a mechanism for blocking access to pornographic websites in response to a parliamentary request, the authority's head has said.
In statements to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Amr Badawi said the authority does not have the power to interfere with the content of websites and so has asked MPs to decide which sites to block.
He added that the committee examining this subject with Parliament has suggested that the body for censoring artistic works be tasked with deciding which websites are pornographic.
Badawi added that the committee is considering the possibility of coordinating efforts with internet service providers to connect subscribers to internet services that block such sites by default.
He said pornographic sites are created outside Egypt, as Egyptian laws ban their creation.
The authority cannot technically block pornographic sites, he said, but can prevent internet users from reaching them.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
