Indian Court Rules Against Adult Content

MUMBAI, India — The state’s high court has ruled that TV broadcasters must get approval for all programming to guard against the broadcast of violence, profanity and nudity, according to the Associated Press.

The decision amounts to a nationwide ban on adult films and applies to all broadcast, cable and satellite channels.

Under the court order, India’s two largest broadcasters, STAR and Sony networks, must submit their programs to the Indian Board of Film Certification. Only films that obtain a U (unrestricted) or U/A (unrestricted accompanied by an adult) can be shown; those who broadcast unapproved programs will face prosecution.

The order calls for police to monitor Indian TV to ensure compliance with the ruling.

A similar court order issued last December warned cable operators to immediately stop showing movies not appropriate for a general audience.

With the court’s latest decision, movie channels have been blacked out since Aug. 21, and police have conducted raids on cable companies that allegedly continued airing adult programs since December.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Strike 3 Rejects Meta 'Personal Use' Defense in AI Suit

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings this week responded to Facebook parent company Meta’s motion to dismiss Strike 3’s suit accusing Meta of pirating VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pornhub, Stripchat: VLOP Designation Based on Flawed Data

In separate cases, attorneys for Pornhub and Stripchat this week told the EU’s General Court that the European Commission relied on unreliable data when it classified the sites as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) under the EU’s Digital Services Act, news organization MLex reports.

FSC Releases Updated Age Verification Toolkit

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced the release of its updated age verification toolkit.

UK Moving Ahead with Plan to Outlaw 'Choking' Content

The U.K. government has announced its intent to follow through on criminalizing “choking” content, a plan that was announced earlier this year.

Italy to Require Age Verification for Adult Sites

Italian media regulator AGCOM has announced that all sites and platforms hosting adult content will be required to implement age verification systems to prevent access by users under 18.

Russian Lawmakers Call for Age Verification

Two Russian lawmakers have called on the country’s government to implement age verification for adult content.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

FSC: California's Device-Based AV Law Does Not Apply to Adult

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) put out an advisory today explaining that California's new device-based age verification law does not apply to adult websites.

Ohio AG Threatens Action Against 'Major' Adult Sites Over AV Law

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office is sending "notice of violation" letters to 19 adult websites for failure to comply with the state's recently enacted age verification law.

Show More