Australia's Telstra Pulls Soft Porn From Broadband Service

SYDNEY, Australia — Australian communications and media giant, Telstra has pulled porn from its Big Pond broadband streaming system.

Bowing to pressure from customers who objected to adult material, the company discontinued its lineup of softcore porn.

Telstra chief David Thodey wrote in a company newsletter, ''I have to agree. We have therefore decided that we will no longer promote access to adult-orientated content through our websites.''

Thodey tempered his decision however, noting that some content including “Dirty Housewives” and “Hot Asians Get Wet” was tame compared to most online porn.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, some of the adult links sat on a web page alongside children’s’ shows. Thodey said he had decided to remove the content because ''we cannot support anything that is sexist or that is inconsistent with our values,” and maintained that Telstra is in many ways Australia’s largest family company.

But porn on the company’s Big Pond streaming and download service has been available for more than a decade. What prompted the new move was a report in late February that pointed to a page that offered porn next to a page dedicated to Telstra's support of women in the workplace.

Ruth Limkin, a ''concerned citizen'' and part time columnist with Brisbane's Courier-Mail wrote directly to Thodey complaining about the content. Then in March, anti-porn activist group Collective Shout, also voiced its concerns, further fueling the fire.

But Telstra denies that it caved because of pressure from Collective Shout and said it never heard of the group.

In praise of the decision, Limkin wrote on her blog, breadandjustice.com, ''We celebrate your good corporate citizenship. You have provided an example we can point to of corporations who put people before profits. All of this deserves exuberant applause, and you most certainly have mine.''

Collective Shout also lauded Telstra. ''Good decision Telstra. We look forward to other Telcos following your lead,” the group said, and called for others to ''let Telstra know what you think of their decision to no longer profit from the bodies of women and girls.”

Although Telstra didn’t comment on the financial impact of the move, it said the positive feedback has paid off.

But some critics said pulling the mild MA15+ rated content was more of a publicity move than good corporate citizenry because the company realized that competing with the deluge of free Intenet porn was simply no longer worth the effort.

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

FSC Publishes Analysis of Federal Trade Commission Event Promoting AV

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an analysis of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event held this week that promoted age verification among other forms of speech regulation.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Canadian Senator Revives Push for National AV Law

Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, whose previous multiple attempts to legislate national age verification requirements all failed, has introduced a new bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Show More