This article was published on January 16, 2017

Pornhub’s biggest fans can no longer access the site


Pornhub’s biggest fans can no longer access the site

The Inquirer reports that the Philippines has blocked a number of sites that host adult content, including Pornhub and Xvideos, have been blocked for users across the country over the weekend.

Visitors are greeted with a message that reads, “This website has been ordered blocked under authority of the Philippine government pursuant to Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Law.”

While neither porn site exclusively hosts images of child sex abuse, Filipino tech blog YugaTech noted that according to its sources, the discovery of even a single instance of underage sexual activity could trigger a ban, and that blocking these sites nationwide is easier than coordinating content takedowns manually, as they operate outside the jurisdiction of the Philippines.

That’s a major bummer for erotica connoisseurs in the country. Earlier this month, Pornhub published a report of usage statistics on its site from 2016 and noted that users from the Philippines average longer visits than anywhere else in the world, at 12 minutes and 45 seconds per session.

It isn’t clear how long the ban will last or which other sites will be affected. It’s also reportedly been implemented only by select ISPs and mobile carriers. We’ve contacted the Philippines government to learn more and will update this post if there’s a response.

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