China Ramps Up Antiporn Mission by Regulating .cn Sites

BEIJING — China is ramping up its war against online porn, with the government’s latest crackdown making it impossible for webmasters to obtain a .cn suffix unless they can prove they are a government-registered business or organization.

The China Internet Network Information Center, which administers China's domain-name registrations, also plans to continue periodic investigations of existing domains for pornographic content. More than 1,000 sites have been deleted by the CNNIC this year in the antipornography campaign.

The .cn suffix was intended for company websites, but that was loosely enforced, leading independent blogs and other noncommercial sites to use the suffix. According to CNNIC, this led to the registration of sites that purvey obscenity and "false information."

It still is possible to register other suffixes from within China, such as .com and .net., but those domains can be blocked in China,

China's antiporn campaign, initiated in August, has closed countless Chinese mobile and Internet sites. The government on Wednesday said it would draft a regulation specifically for WAP sites, which provide Internet service for mobile phones, before March next year,

Authorities also have begun offering rewards for tips leading to more closures.

Google Inc.'s Chinese site and Alibaba Group's Yahoo China site have been accused by authorities of facilitating the spread of vulgar content. Both companies made adjustments to their sites after the allegations, without admitting any wrongdoing.

Chinese officials also frequently block access to overseas websites, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, which have been inaccessible for most Chinese users since earlier this year.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 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

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for December, January

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters, by country, for December and January.

Jim Austin Joins CrakRevenue Team

Strategist Jim Austin has been hired by CrakRevenue.

Judge Dismisses NCOSE-Backed Suits Against Adult Sites Over Kansas AV Law

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed lawsuits brought against two adult websites in Kansas for alleged violations of the state’s age verification law.

Aylo/SWOP Panel Spotlights Creators' Struggle for Digital, Financial Rights

Aylo and Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Behind Bars presented, on Tuesday, an online panel on creators’ rights, debanking and deplatforming.

AV Bulletin: Canada, Italy, Australia Updates

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, more state age verification laws have been enacted around the United States, as well as proposed at the federal level and in other countries. This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Holly Randall Soft Launches 'Wet Ink' Magazine

Holly Randall has officially soft-launched the creator-focused publication Wet Ink Magazine.

Virginia 'Porn Tax' Bill Delayed Until 2027

A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee on Monday voted to postpone until next year consideration of a bill that would impose a 10% tax on the gross receipts of adult websites doing business in that state.

Virginia Becomes Latest State to Weigh 'Porn Tax'

The Virginia House of Delegates is considering a bill that would impose a 10% tax on the gross receipts of adult websites doing business in that state.

Elizabeth Skylar Launches Production Banner on VRPorn.com

Elizabeth Skylar has launched her own virtual reality production banner on VRPorn.com.

CrakRevenue Introduces 'Trend Explorer' Feature for Affiliates

CrakRevenue has debuted the new Trend Explorer feature for its affiliates.

Show More