Indian Government Orders Block of 67 Adult URLs, Including Top Sites

Indian Government Orders Block of 67 Adult URLs, Including Top Sites

NEW DELHI — The conservative Indian government has ordered the country’s internet service providers to block 67 adult sites for violating a new IT law passed in 2021, accusing them of “tarnishing the image of modesty of women.”

The list of adult sites banned in India now includes top-ranked global sites such as Pornhub, Brazzers and BangBros.

In an email sent to internet service providers, the Department of Telecom “has asked them to block 63 websites based on the order of a Pune court, and block 4 websites based on the order of the Uttarakhand High Court and directions issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY),” the Times of India newspaper reported Thursday.

The order, issued Sept. 23 but only made public today, cited the 2021 Information Technology Rules in requiring ISPs to immediately block the sites, “in view of certain obscene material available in the below mentioned website that tarnish the image of modesty of women.”

The IT Rules 2021, the Times of India explained, “mandates IT companies to remove or disable access to content hosted, stored or published by them which ‘shows such individual in full or partial nudity or shows or depicts such individual in any sexual act or conduct’ and also content which is allegedly impersonated or artificially morphed.”

Although most mainstream Indian newspapers avoided mentioning which sites were the latest to be subjected to government censorship, India Express has published a spreadsheet that lists the sites, which brings the total number of adult sites banned by the Indian government to 857.

Hindu Nationalism and Porn Panic

As XBIZ reported, in early June, India’s increasingly powerful Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology published proposed new rules that would give the government sweeping control over social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit as well as digital news publications and streaming sites, including the power to punish them for “porn” and “obscenity.”

Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a religious nationalist with authoritarian tendencies who came to power in 2014, the government “wants to arm itself with powers to overturn decisions of top social media companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and Instagram to suspend, block or remove accounts of users over various violations, and is also seeking new levers that will force the internet majors to take down content when directed on a user’s complaint,” The Times of India reported in June.

India is currently in the middle of a media-driven “porn panic” centered around a case involving Bollywood celebrities who invested in an X-rated online startup.

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

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.

Age Verification Watch: Michigan Joins the AV Club, Some Laws Just Make No Sense

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

Free Speech Groups Back SCOTUS Appeal of Georgia Strip Club Tax

Two civil liberties organizations filed an amicus brief Tuesday supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case involving whether a tax specifically aimed at adult entertainment establishments violates the First Amendment.

Show More