Libya Shuts Down Sex Writer's URL Shortening Website

CYBERSPACE — Sex writer and media pundit Violet Blue’s “sex-positive” URL shortening website — vb.ly — has been shut down by the Libyan domain authority that registers “.ly” domains for violating Islamic morality.

Blue and her partner Ben Metcalfe founded vb.ly last year as a URL shortening service for Twitter and other social media use that wouldn't screen out sexual material and NSFW links as bit.ly and other link shortening services do.

The writer reported on her blog that vb.ly was shut down with no warning when the Libyan registry for .ly, NIC.ly told the pair that their site violated Libyan regulations.

The registry's posted regulations only state that a registered domain name can’t contain words that are obscene or explicit but the registry's .ly reseller, Libyan Spider, actually prohibits the site from containing sexual content.

Although Blue’s site didn’t host any adult content, she said the registry told her she was promoting an illegal activity with her link shortener, citing a photo of her with bare arms holding a bottle and the words “sex-positive” as being obscene, offensive and illegal.

A Libyan Telecom and Technology representative said, "While letters 'vb' are quite generic and bear no offensive meaning in themselves, they're being used as a domain name for an openly admitted 'adult friendly URL shortener'. Now, had your domain merely been a URL shortener for general uses similar to bit.ly (as you claim) there would have been no problem with it. It is when you promote your site being solely for adult uses, or even state that you are 'adult friendly' to promote it that we as a Libyan Registry have an issue."

Blue wrote on her site, “We had the domain for a year and had just paid to renew the domain for another year. For two weeks the processor NIC.ly had told us in vague terms that vb.ly was in violation of NIC.ly and Libyan Spider’s terms.”

She continued, “However, we could not find anywhere in the terms on both sites, where we were in violation, which apply to the name of the domain. We were also told we had been warned to change the domain content of face deletion, but no proof was provided that they had attempted to contact us. Had we known, we would have responded immediately.”

Blue said that no one knew that the Libyan government would begin seizing domains based on application of Islamic law to website content (let alone potential use of an online tool, such as a link shortener). Blue noted that although the site is down, all vb.ly links still exist, its database is intact and those who had shortened URLs will have them restored with a suitable domain.

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

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, Could Face Override

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.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More