Pornography
Thailand – Pornhub Has Been Blocked
According to Thailand’s cybercrime laws, internet pornography is illegal, which is why the country recently blocked some 190 websites inside the nation’s borders, preventing citizens from gaining access to them. Thailand has specifically blocked one of the biggest sites called PornHub and other online porn sites. In recent news was the case of 22 women who were deceived and coerced by Michael Pratt, owner of GirlsDoPorn, into performing sex acts on film that were subsequently uploaded to Pornhub. Pornhub is being accused by hundreds & thousands of people around the globe of complicity in the mass sex trafficking and exploitation of women and girls and profiting from the worst kinds of sexual abuse. Read more here, and here
USA – Ending twin pandemics: COVID-19 and the sexual exploitation of children
Child online exploitation beyond the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an added level of horror for families trying to protect their children from Internet-related harms and parents. Prior to COVID-19, the online sexual exploitation of children was already at pandemic proportions. Online activity has now increased for kids due to virtual learning and an increased time indoors. Parents are concerned about the dangers associated with the use of digital tools and social media, where savvy sexual predators, traffickers and pornographers are aggressively preying on vulnerable children. By July of this year, Google Trends reported an 80% increase in parents searching for online help in dealing with cyberbullying. Alarmingly, kids under 10 years old comprise 22% of the online porn use. Read more
Russia – Illegal content removed from 188,000 websites with extremist information
Illegal content was removed from 188,000 websites publishing extremist materials like child pornography and the promotion of drugs and suicide according to Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor. The watchdog backs a bill on the introduction of administrative fines for failures to ensure secure and stable functioning of the internet over the territory of the Russian Federation. For these purposes, the law envisages that providers are to submit technical information to Roskomnadzor, so the agency could promptly take necessary measures in case of communications emergencies. The lawmakers believe the bill will close some legislative gaps available currently for the subjects of the regulations introduced in certain laws on communications, and protection of information, and informational technologies. more
Pakistan – Google, Twitter and Facebook threaten to leave Pakistan over new content rules
Global tech giants Google, Facebook & Twitter among others, have banded together and are threatening to leave Pakistan because of the country’s latest censorship laws. Under the new regulations, social media companies or internet service providers face a fine of up to $ 3.14 million for failing to curb the sharing of content deemed defamatory of Islam, promotion of the terrorism, hate speech, pornography or any content considered to endanger Security. Critics say the move was aimed at restricting free speech in the conservative Islamic nation. Previously Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan granted the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority the power to remove and block digital content that “harms, intimidates or excites disaffection with the government” or harms “the ‘integrity and security of Pakistan’. more