Global War on Porn
Japanese Manga Industry Hit by Credit Card Companies' Anti-Porn Restrictions
Japanese manga retailers are reporting pressure from multinational credit card companies — many based in the U.S. and targeted by anti-porn religious conservatives — to censor their content if they wish to maintain their current payment processing arrangements.
Academics Criticize Australian AG's 'Harmful Pornography' Inquiry
After authorities in the state of New South Wales announced earlier this month they intended to hold an inquiry on the impacts of “harmful pornography,” an article by researchers published in prestigious Australian academic site The Conversation has questioned the blatantly negative framing of the project.
Fiji Politicians Ramp Up Efforts to Ban Online Porn
Fiji politicians have ramped up rhetoric linking adult content with sexual violence and calling for limiting access to adult sites in the island nation in order to “protect Fiji’s children,” following the announcement that the Anti-Pornography Taskforce established in February will convene in September to gather stakeholder input.
Thailand's Progressives Fail in Latest Attempt to Legalize Adult Entertainment, Pleasure Product Industries
The most recent legislative attempt to legalize adult entertainment and sex toys in Thailand failed to clear its first reading in the lower chamber of Parliament on Wednesday.
Indian Court Orders Google to Censor Adult Content in Searches
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.
Indonesia Bans DuckDuckGo, Alleging It Can Be Used to Access Pornography
The Indonesian government has outlawed the search engine DuckDuckGo, claiming it can be used to access pornography.
Aylo Challenges EU's DSA Mandate to Reveal Legal Names of Advertisers, Including Performers
Aylo has filed an appeal with the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) challenging the EU's Digital Services Act mandate to disclose the legal names of advertisers, including performers, in a publicly accessible database.
Popular Pakistani Actor and Director Yasir Hussain Proposes Legalizing Porn
Prominent Pakistani actor, director and TV personality Yasir Hussain has sparked debate in the majority-Muslim country by suggesting that pornography should be legalized there and that society should own up to so many Pakistanis already being habitual consumers.
Senior Labour MP Launches Attack on All Porn, Sex Work
A senior Labour MP on Tuesday launched an attack against adult websites, saying they are “characterized by lawlessness,” and called for further criminalization of all sex work.
Author of UN Report Recommending Worldwide Criminalization of Sex Work, Porn to Speak at NCOSE Summit
Jordanian activist Reem Alsalem, a special rapporteur on violence against women and girls at the United Nations Human Rights Council who recently issued a controversial report recommending that governments abolish all forms of sex work, including porn, will speak at anti-porn lobby NCOSE’s 2024 summit in August.
European Commission Adds XXNX to List of 'Very Large' Platforms Subject to Special Regulations
The European Commission has added XXNX to its list of platforms designated as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) and therefore subject to special regulations under the controversial Digital Services Act (DSA).
Irish Senator's Age Verification Bill Aims at U.S.-Style Chilling Effect on Porn
The Senate of the Republic of Ireland — known by its Gaelic name Seanad Éireann — has scheduled a hearing for Thursday to debate the country’s proposed Protection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill.
Aylo Willing to Work With Australia's Online Censor on Device-Based AV Solutions
The office of Australia’s top online censor, unelected eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, has released a new roadmap for implementing age verification in accordance with the country’s Online Safety Act.
Spain's Technology Minister Unveils Soon-to-be-Mandatory Age Verification App
Spain’s anti-sex-work and anti-porn Socialist Party (PSOE) government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has unveiled a new age verification app that will become mandatory for accessing adult content in the country starting in September.
Malaysian Government Says X Removed Adult Content at Their Request
Malaysia’s Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching told Parliament on Monday that the country’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has worked with X to remove pornographic content from the platform formerly known as Twitter.
European Commission Compels Pornhub, XVideos, Stripchat to Disclose DSA Compliance Data
The European Commission has singled out Pornhub, XVideos and Stripchat for enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA), giving them until July 4 to provide compliance information.
X's Clarification of Adult Content Policy Triggers International Confusion
X’s recent clarification of its adult content policies has created confusion in countries with strict anti-porn laws, such as Indonesia, especially considering that X owner Elon Musk has stated that the limits of his “free speech absolutism” for the platform formerly known as Twitter are the laws of each country.
Canadian Officials, Experts Lambast Anti-Porn Senator's Age Verification Bill
Canada’s privacy commissioner warned a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that the expansive age verification bill promoted by vocal anti-porn and anti-sex-work Senator Julie Miville-Dechênel has broad censorship implications and could end up applying to mainstream services such as Netflix.
Turkish Startup Launches 'Halal' Porn-Blocking Filter Kahf Guard
Turkish startup Halalz has released a new dedicated web browser and browser extension, Kahf Guard, which it says blocks 5.5 million sites Muslims consider “haram,” or forbidden, including adult content.
India Censors 18 Social Media Platforms as 'Obscene'
The conservative Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modhi has blocked 18 social media platforms in India, claiming they “promoted obscenity and vulgarity under the guise of ‘creative expression.’”