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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Like many other adult websites, PornHub has become unavailable for viewing in India. Users trying to access the site now face a block or redirection. This came as a result of the platform not complying with India’s latest Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, which require greater moderation of user content and stricter age verification on adult websites.

The more serious part of the problem is illegal material, namely CSAM (child sexual abuse material) or non-consensual silhouetted intimate photography. The matter is the verification of users and clients in accordance with some other regulations. Under the Guidelines, “Significant Social Media Intermediaries,” engaging primarily in the distribution or transmission of sexually explicit material, shall implement effective age verification systems designed to prevent minors from accessing such material. The objective is to ensure that those who create problematic content are easily traceable.

Aylo, the new parent company of Pornhub, argues that the implementation of customized trust and safety procedures for each country using government-issued identification systems is impractical for global platforms. They also claim that such measures could infringe on user privacy and that people intent on accessing such materials can often bypass these restrictions using VPNs. The firm also highlighted similar discussions and many emerging regulations from the UK, EU, US, Australia, among other countries which seem to point toward a collective concern over governance of online content.

This isn’t the first time adult websites have faced restrictions in India. Previous restrictions have been placed through court orders and government directives aimed at restricting access to adult content for social and legal reasons. However, this restriction is a direct result of the change in IT Rules which now requires the platforms to take full responsibility of enforcement or risk being made unavailable.

In the case of Indian users, this means that well-known adult sites such as Pornhub will still be inaccessible through conventional internet access. The government has taken a strong position on measures to restrict access to the internet and protect children, whereas Pornhub emphasizes the multifaceted nature of global business operations while flagging issues of censorship and user verification on the internet. This situation illustrates the conflict between national censorship policies and the internet’s unregulated global nature.

Read More: India Blocks Pornhub: Unpacking the New Online Safety Rules and Global Reactions