Russia has shut down two of the biggest porn sites in the world. From Tuesday, PornHub and YouPorn are banned in Russia, no thanks to the Russian media watchdog, Roskomnadzor.
PornHub or YouPorn is redirecting users to another page. The concerned page explains that they are blocked because of the decision of public authorities.
Roskomnadzor is English for Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, information Technology, and Mass Media. The agency is monitoring the internet and blocking websites that the government doesn’t require.
As expected there was a huge outcry from the users. The same agency that initiated the ban of PornHub and YouPorn has banned eleven similar websites over the course of a year. The disgruntled users have tried to express their opinion on the media, only to be advised to meet someone in real life.
Russia’s decision to ban PornHub stems from two separate court rulings. According to BBC, the court released a decision stating that the concerned websites are responsible for spreading pornography. They also go against Russian laws of illegal production, dissemination, and advertisement of pornographic materials.
PornHub has always had a witty sense of humor, and they have tried to address the issue on the social media with some quirky remarks. Social media users were intrigued to find the government agency getting back with some equally witty responses.
PornHub asked if Roskomnadzor would unban PornHub in Russia if they give them a Premium PornHub account. Roskomnadzor responded that they weren’t in the market for the services that PornHub provided.
Several social activists have taken to the social media to express their opinion on the said decision. It won’t be the first time that the Russian government is blocking porn sites and popular websites. Apart from eleven porn sites, the government had banned Apple’s iCloud, YouTube, and Wikipedia.
The users are aware that proxy sites would soon be up and they will get to access the content. In fact, PornHub shared a proxy link on their website. This post by PornHub saw a response from a user who said that it was awkward when the porn site cares more about them than their government.
Russia had blocked PornHub back in September 2015. The decision saw a similar response on the social media. During that time users had enquired whether Roskomnadzor would provide them with an alternate website.
The agency had advised the user to head out and meet real people. They have maintained the same in the present, asking the users to head out rather than watch adult websites. Roskomnadzor, when asked if it would provide an alternative, said that it wouldn’t go in the same direction.
The ban on PornHub came after the Russian agency placed the porn site on their blacklist. The verdict of the Russian apex court decides whether the prohibition would continue or be lifted.
The 2015 decision to block PornHub took place after a court in Krasnodar said that the website violated child protection laws and illegally distributed pornographic content. Russian law allows consumption of porn, but not the production or distribution of pornographic content.
PornHub went ahead to upload a tweet asking President Barrack Obama to pardon Edward Snowden and let him go back to the USA since he wouldn’t get access to their content after Russia’s ban on the porn site.
The New York Fashion Week saw an unlikely partnership on the ramp. Hood by Air staged its Spring/Summer 2017 runway show with sponsorship from PornHub. The media was surprised to see PornHub extend support to Hood by Air. Models walked the runway with clothing that had interesting quotes.