The three major cellphone networks are blocking access to controversial chat website Outoilet and will continue to block additional web addresses used to access the site as they come to their attention.

The chat site was highlighted in the Cape Times two weeks ago as a forum where schoolchildren were able to anonymously discuss their communities, gang violence and sex among pupils.

Concerns were raised yesterday that users were still able to access the site on various networks, despite confirmation that it had been blocked.

Vodacom spokeswoman Nomsa Thusi said the website used a number of different addresses and more were constantly coming to their attention. There were at least five different addresses which could be used to access the website. “They keep coming up. We’ve blocked several websites. But the more we learn about, we block them immediately.”

Thusi undertook to inform their IT department about the web address used by the Cape Times so that it too could be blocked.

MTN said it had requested the Internet Watch Foundation to block the Outoilet domain after concern had recently been raised.

“MTN can confirm that these domains have been blacklisted on its network.”

Cell C had also blocked access to the site, said Sean Martin, wireless application service provider manager for Cell C. “We can confirm that access to the links below has been blocked by Cell C. Three of the links were blocked (yesterday).”

Outoilet users are able to choose to chat in a number of “rooms”. These had included provinces, schools, universities and hospitals.

Following pressure by the media the Outoilet website administrators took away the school chatrooms and advertising for pornographic content. A message posted yesterday on Outoilet said: “We have taken off school rooms due to complaints and exams also. And we do not host porn, all our pic uploads are monitored by admin. You must be over 18 to browse this site.”

Some users were angered by this and posted messages of support for the website to continue as before.

Arthur Goldstuck, managing director of technology researchers World Wide Worx, wrote in online magazine Gadget that Outoilet had “succumbed” due to a campaign which sought to block access to Outoilet.

“When Outoilet was first brought to our attention a year ago it was a mobile hub of bullying, abuse and humiliation for schoolchildren in the Western Cape. Confined largely to the Cape Flats, it was often described by teenagers as the ‘best kept sex secret’ in the province.”

The Film and Publications Board said it had received numerous complaints about Outoilet. “It remains within the powers of network providers to take responsible action against identified sites that contain harmful content that negatively affects our children and society, by blocking such sites,” said Yoliswa Makhasi, chief executive of the board.

Recent investigations into the website by the board had also shown that there was potential for future displays of child pornography and its distribution.

The board was looking for ways of engaging the Russian hosts of the website to draw attention to the negative effect of the site on South African children.

“We will be relentless in drawing attention to such sites and will remain a constant irritation to the hosts and site developers,” Makhasi said. - - Cape Times

originally published in Cape Times here:

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/networks-to-block-access-to-outoilet-1.876520

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