This week, the popular porn company Brazzers was placed on Russia’s infamous “blocklist,” becoming the third porn site in the last six months to be banned by the country’s internet watchdog Roskomnadzor.
The ruling came down from a Russian court, which argued that the Brazzers XXX site has a “purely negative impact on the human psyche”—a claim that sounds eerily similar to an amendment to the United State’s GOP platform last year declaring porn “a public health crisis that is destroying the life of millions,” with the Republican Party further encouraging “states to continue to fight this public menace.” Soon after the block, Brazzers became one of the top trending topics on Twitter in Russia.
While some American adult industry insiders are in agreement with the Russian court’s take on Brazzers, it’s for entirely different reasons. Just a few months ago, one of porn’s biggest stars, Nikki Benz, alleged she was raped on a Brazzers set, publicly shaming the company on Twitter for failing to protect the company’s official brand ambassador. Though Brazzers directed blame towards the film’s director, there were others in the porn biz who cited issues with the company at large.
“Their business practices aren’t exactly pro-performer, but I don’t think it’s a government’s job to determine what people can and can’t view on the internet,” adult actress Addie Juniper told The Daily Beast. “I’m not a big fan of the male-centric content Brazzers puts out there, but again, it shouldn’t be the government’s right to take that away.”
It is ironic that Roskomnadzor banned Brazzers on the same day the ban was lifted on the popular tube site YouPorn, according to The Moscow Times. Both porn sites are owned by the same parent company, MindGeek. Pornhub, RedTube, Reality Kings, and Digital Playground are also in its adult online portfolio.
When pressed for comment, Brazzers redirected inquiries to their statement posted on Twitter: “Disappointed to hear that on such cold winter nights the good citizens of Russia have been denied the warm embrace of Brazzers entertainment.”
Disappointed to hear that on such cold winter nights the good citizens of Russia have been denied the warm embrace of Brazzers entertainment
— Brazzers (@Brazzers) February 7, 2017
But horny Russian citizens, take note: YouPorn has a dedicated Brazzers channel with plenty of free, streamable porn. And it’s extremely accessible. Unlike many pay-for-play sites, the tube site doesn’t even ask for age verification, unlike Brazzers.
Technological advancements have made porn even more readily accessible, and with mobile devices rapidly becoming the preferred method to view porn, navigating safe access for children may be challenging. As a parent of two, adult actress Eve Lawrence has become increasingly aware of the complexities this presents. “Russia may be concerned that they are marketing pornography to children. As pornographers, we have a responsibility to self-regulate and protect those who are underage from viewing such content. This means more content protection and filters—especially for tube sites,” she says.
This article originally appeared on Daily Beast.
