Porn Thrives in India Despite Ban; Pornhub Use Jumps 95%

Porn Thrives in India Despite Ban; Pornhub Use Jumps 95%

LOS ANGELES — Recent reports have revealed that online adult entertainment is thriving in India as the country copes with the coronavirus pandemic and "stay at home" restrictions.

The surge in traffic comes despite the country’s ban on specific adult websites, including Pornhub, imposed in 2015 by India’s Department of Telecommunications. The company responded to the .com ban by launching Pornhub.org for the country’s 1.3 billion residents and recently followed up with its global offer of free Pornhub Premium memberships as part of its “StayHomeHub” campaign, further fueling its growth on the sub-continent.

News reports now suggest the site’s reach has increased by 95 percent.

“Indians have been increasingly hitting [Pornhub] for porn since the announcement of the lockdown on March 24,” Aswathy T.O. wrote for International Business Times. “Luckily for Indians, the lockdown also coincided with Pornhub’s announcement to provide a month’s worth of access to its Premium account for free across countries as a token of support during the tough lockdown times. Indians seem to have responded to this with utmost enthusiasm!” 

The 95 percent increase in traffic occurred by March 27; by April 1, the increase hovered at 64 percent. "Indians [are] clearly making the most of both social distancing and free porn," Aswathy said.

For comparison, Pornhub reports that its global traffic level spiked by over 24 percent, reaching its highest level March 25.

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