WH Smith Takes Entire Site Offline After Porn E-book Scandal

LONDON — WH Smith, calling some of its e-book titles it sells "unacceptable," has taken its entire U.K. site offline until all "abuse-themed" titles are removed from its product listings.

The move by the brick-and-mortar and online retailer, comes after last week's revelation by technology news site The Kernel that Amazon, WH Smith, Barnes & Noble and other retailers were selling "porn e-books" featuring incest, rape and bestiality on their sites.

WH Smith takes e-book content — about 1 million titles — from Kobo.com, which said in a statement that it  was "working quickly to review its catalog and remove the content, authors and publishers in question."

E-books have grown in popularity along with e-readers and tablet computers, but retailers have been struggling to filter explicit adult content that breaches their website guidelines.

WH Smith officials said that due to the massive amount of self publishing, "a number of these titles got through the screening process."

Visitors to the WHSmith.co.uk website in the meantime have been greeted by a flash-page statement that says: "Our website will become live again once all self published e-books have been removed and we are totally sure that there are no offending titles available."

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

AI Erotic Storytelling Platform 'AIEroticSmut' Launches

AIEroticSmut.com, a DIY erotic storytelling platform, has officially launched.

TeamSkeet, MYLF to Launch New Website FamilyStrokes.com

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF are launching a new website, FamilyStrokes.com.

AV Bulletin: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Segpay Names Kristi Greer VP of Sales

Segpay has promoted long-time employee Kristi Greer to the position of vice president of sales.

BranditScan Names Subgirl Newest Brand Ambassador

BranditScan has named content creator Subgirl its newest brand ambassador.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Pineapple Support, Clips4Sale to Host Performers' Partners Support Group

Pineapple Support and Clips4Sale are hosting a free online support group for partners and family members of adult industry professionals.

FSC Mourns the Loss of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes

Free Speech Coalition has released a statement regarding the passing of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes.

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Show More