Wrong IP Info Leads to 3 Weeks in Jail

PUNE, India — Mistaken information provided to authorities by Internet service provider Airtel has resulted in the false arrest and imprisonment of a 26-year-old Indian man for posting images of a beloved historical figure online.

Kailash K. Lakshmana was arrested in Bangalore and jailed for three weeks for allegedly uploading images of Chhatrapati Shivaji, who in 1674 founded the Maratha Empire in western India, to social networking site Orkut.com, a Google subsidiary.

Lakshmana's woes began when Indian authorities investigating the posting reportedly received an IP address from Google, which Airtel, one of the country's main telecoms, apparently mistakenly identified as belonging to Lakshmana.

According to the Indo-Asian News Service, police will pursue the matter with Airtel.

"We did our investigations on the IP address provided to us by Airtel," said Assistant Commissioner of Police Netaji Shinde. "It is not our fault and Lakshmana should take Airtel to court and not us."

While Google turned the information over to authorities in accordance with Indian law, it's unclear whether or not a court order was issued, and pending U.S. legislation would prohibit such disclosures.

Proposed by Representative Christopher Smith, R-N.J., the Global Online Freedom Act could prevent U.S. companies from providing personally identifying information to any government that restricts free speech on the Internet, "except for legitimate foreign law enforcement purposes as determined by the Justice Department."

Although currently stuck in committee, if enacted the law would allow foreign citizens to sue U.S. companies over such disclosures.

This is not the first time that an ISP's mistake over customer IP addresses has led to problems with authorities. In 2004, police in Wichita, Kansas, raided the home of Brian and Sarah Doom, searching for suspect child pornography based on information provided by the Doom's ISP, Cox Communications — the result of a mistyped IP address.

These actions raise the specter of adult entertainment companies having to turn over personally identifying customer information, or in the broader market, search engines having to reveal IP addresses of users that have searched on specific adult terms.

Yahoo currently is embroiled in a lawsuit over several instances of revealing to Chinese authorities the IP addresses of visitors to pro-democracy websites, resulting in prison sentences for the website visitors. A country as reportedly hostile to adult site owners as China could make similar demands for information about adult site visitors.

Related:  

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

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

Show More