Indian Court Orders Google to Censor Adult Content in Searches

Indian Court Orders Google to Censor Adult Content in Searches

CHENNAI, India — A local court in India has ordered government officials and the Google subsidiary in the country to prevent the appearance of porn site suggestions in search results.

The Madras High Court issued the notice as part of a public interest litigation (PIL), the Daily Thanthi reported.

The PIL petitioner, Chennai-based lawyer S. Gnaneswaran, claimed that whenever “a genuine-internet user types anything in Google’s search engine, it suggests some sites related to pornography or other obscene content,” and that this can lead to users accidentally “opening the illegal sites without knowing the contents, and having to face embarrassment.”

Gnaneswaran also alleged that curious minors may open those sites, leading to a negative impact on society.

The local advocate asked the court to direct the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to act to prevent such porn sites suggestions from showing up in Google search results.

The judges in the case, issued a notice to the ministry and to the local Google subsidiary, giving them two weeks to submit a reply.

As XBIZ reported, India’s Hindu nationalist government, led by Narendra Modhi, has been conducting a “war on porn” along the same lines as religious conservatives in the U.S.

Indian law offers no legal protection for adult content, and the Modhi government has repeatedly geoblocked platforms and sites in the country, claiming they promote “obscenity and vulgarity under the guise of ‘creative expression.’”

The Modhi government also enforces laws against the crime of “depicting nudity and sexual acts.”

Although many of India’s multiple cultures, including Hinduism, have openly depicted nudity and sexual acts for millennia, conservative ideologues in the country support extreme censorship laws against sexual expression. These attitudes originated in the 19th century with imported Victorian notions under the British Empire, which shamed Indians for their openness about sex.

Recent government and media reports in India have conflated both explicit and simulated sex under the crime of “obscenity.”

Main Image: Madras Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar

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: 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.

Reena Sky Launches New Paysite

Reena Sky has launched her new official paysite, ILoveReenaSky.com.

NextGen Payment Joins ASACP as Corporate Sponsor

NextGen Payment has signed on as the latest corporate sponsor for the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

Lauren Phillips, Derek Kage Cap AEBN's Top Stars for 3rd Quarter of 2025

AEBN has revealed its most popular performers in straight and gay theaters for the third quarter of 2025.

XBIZ 2026 Conference to Debut All-New Company Lounges, Community Track

The event website for XBIZ 2026 is now live, unveiling details for North America’s largest adult industry conference, including two all-new show features: Company Lounges and a Community Track.

Mymember.site Integrates VR Functionality

Mymember.site has added virtual reality playback capability to its website management platform.

Texas Patti to Launch Fetish Platform 'EmpireDom'

Performer and content creator Texas Patti is launching a new platform for doms and fetish creators, EmpireDom.com.

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.

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

Show More