Saudi Government Reportedly Trying to Wipe Out Online Porn

RIYADH — Saudi Arabian authorities blocked more than 400,000 porn sites in 2013 in an ongoing effort to weed out access to erotic material in the country, according to Vice.com.

Vice, in an article published on Saturday, said the country also recently disabled more than 9,000 Twitter accounts belonging to those associated with marketing and promoting porn.

The state's Communications and Information Technology Commission blocked the websites in a tedious process requiring the review and repression of one page at a time, said Vice, which noted that Saudi authorities are known to conduct random searches of laptops, disks and flash drives at immigration.

The Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, its religious police aka Haia, acknowledged that it did not act alone in tracing those associated to "illegal" websites. Instead it relied upon a group of "ethical hackers" to access users' accounts and personal information, leading to physical arrests.

“Those caught producing or disseminating porn … face up to five years in prison and a fine not to exceed 3 million Saudi Riyals (more than $800,000),” Vice said.

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

Adult Industry Educational, Networking Platform 'Imperfectly You' Launches

Imperfectly You, an educational and networking platform for adult industry workers, has officially launched.

Segpay to Launch News Network for High-Risk Merchants

Segpay has announced that it will launch the Segpay News Network (SNN) on April 15.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

ImLive Launches Revamped Member Loyalty Program

Cam platform ImLive has revamped its member loyalty program.

GoFundMe Set Up for Danny Ferretti's Medical Expenses

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Fangear founder Danny Ferretti, who requires extensive lung surgery.

Byborg Acquires Cuties AI

Byborg Enterprises has acquired adult artificial intelligence startup Cuties AI.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

New York Assemblyman Proposes Banning the Term 'Sex Work'

Republican New York Assembly Member Brian Maher has introduced a bill to prohibit the use of the term "sex work" in government documents.

Show More