Pornhub, Redtube Reincarnate in India as .org, .net Sites After Censorship

Pornhub, Redtube Reincarnate in India as .org, .net Sites After Censorship

CYBERSPACE — Pornhub and Redtube have reentered the Indian market as “Pornhub.org” and “Redtube.net," after being banned by the country’s restrictive censorship laws.

In 2015, India’s Department of Telecommunications had banned 857 adult websites, including Pornhub.com and Redtube.com, as “immoral and indecent” through a letter sent to all internet service providers.

The letter ordered the ISPs to effect the “disablement of porn websites (under the provisions of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000), ‘as the content posted on these websites relate to morality, decency as given in Article 19(2) of the Constitution.’”

The population of India is estimated at 1.339 billion people, almost as many people as there are in China (1.386 billion) and over 1 billion more people than live in the U.S. (325.7 million).

Although users had gotten around the ban by using virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxies, Pornhub and Redtube can now be accessed via their “non-profit” (.org) and “network” (.net) reincarnations.

The Department of Telecommunications letter had explicitly banned the commercial (.com) versions of those sites.

A news report today (re-published by Mashable) quotes a local “cyber law expert,” Pavan Duggal, who seems to conflate “the entire issue of pornography and child pornography,” before demanding “strict cyber-security laws.”

In fact, the report, completely out of context, quotes a 2015 column in the India Times by Duggal where India’s top cyber law analyst clearly says “I have been advocating for [a long time] that India needs to adopt a pragmatic approach and needs to focus on achievable targets like child pornography and not pornography as a whole.”

According to Duggal, debates about the age of consent (which bear on the legal definition of what is “child pornography”) in India, hinge on the age when a girl is considered to have “attain[ed] puberty.”

The Department of Telecommunications’ letter censoring hundreds of sites, for Duggal, “amounts to abdication by the government of its mandatory responsibilities and is contrary to the provisions of Indian Cyberlaw.” ISPs in India, he concludes, “do not have the wherewithal to determine what is child pornography" and what is adult content.

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

European Commission to Assess Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX Compliance With Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to conduct a study to determine how well adult sites Pornhub, XVideos and XNXX are addressing illegal content and other potential harms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

German Higher Court Upholds Ban on PornHub, YouPorn

The Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate on Thursday upheld a “network ban” on Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn for failing to comply with German age verification regulations.

Alabama Notifying Adult Sites of New Tax Set to Take Effect Sept. 1

The Alabama Department of Revenue has begun sending notices to adult site operators about a new 10% tax on their revenues, set to be enforced starting Sept. 1.

Ondato, CCBill Announce Strategic Partnership for Global High-Risk Market

Age and identity verification firm Ondato and payment processor CCBill have formed a strategic partnership to serve the global high-risk market.

Ofcom Investigates 4 More Adult Companies for OSA Compliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into whether four companies operating adult websites have implemented requisite age assurance measures under the Online Safety Act, the agency announced Thursday.

Taylor Nicole Launches New Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Creator Taylor Nicole has launched her new official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Show More