Protest swells at ministry after Pornhub, adult sites blocked in Thailand
The student-led protest movement urged supporters to gather at the Chaengwattana Government Complex in Bangkok at 4pm on Tuesday, as tensions rose over yet another act of government censorship.
After the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry blocked the popular adult website Pornhub on Monday night, the hashtag #พลังเงี่_น (Horny Power) began trending on Tuesday morning.
The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) protest group said they would rally this afternoon at the Government Complex on Laksi Road, where the ministry is located. Netizens urged them to add unblocking Pornhub to their three core demands – the PM’s resignation, charter change and monarchy reform.
On Tuesday morning, DES Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said the move to block access to Pornhub and 190 other adult sites in Thailand was taken after the court’s okay. He added that the decision was not related to a clip featuring a prominent Thai personality that was posted on the website.
Social media users angered by the censorship have mocked the DES for a move they say will draw more people to the pornography website, which can still be accessed via various “cheats” being shared online.
Other netizens have applauded the government for blocking a website they say featured videos created via child trafficking or rape.
The government has blocked thousands of websites and social media accounts, many over political content, since the coup in 2014.
