India telecoms body asks ISPs to block file-sharing website WeTransfer
India has ordered its internet service providers (ISPs) to block file-sharing website WeTransfer at a time when hundreds of millions of people are working from home because of a nationwide lockdown to stop the novel coronavirus.
The order, dated May 18, from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which was reviewed by Reuters, does not specify a reason for blocking the website, but invokes a clause from conditions laid out for granting licenses to ISPs.
The clause directs all license holders to block websites in the “interest of national security or public interest.”
“At this moment in time, WeTransfer seems to be blocked and unavailable in India,” WeTransfer said in a blog post.
“We are working hard to understand the reasoning behind this block, as well as how to get it reverted as soon as possible.”
The DoT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Founded in 2009 in the Netherlands, WeTransfer allows users to upload and share file of up to 2GB for free at one time.
Paying users can share files of up to 20 GB per transfer.
-
India aviation regulator tells airlines to keep middle seat vacant as far as possible
Airlines in India will need to keep the middle seat empty if passenger load factors and seat capacity allow for it, the aviation regulator said in a ... Coronavirus -
Coronavirus: Apple, Google release technology for pandemic apps
Apple and Google on Wednesday released long-awaited smartphone technology to automatically notify people if they might have been exposed to the ... Coronavirus -
US steps up row with Beijing, adds new restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei
The US government has imposed new restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei’s ability to use American technology, stepping up a conflict with Beijing ... Technology -
EU to reign in US tech giants with tougher rules
US tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon could face tougher rules as European Union regulators seek evidence to curb their role as gatekeepers to ... Technology