The ‘.xxx’ domains have been approved by the government in the states, making it some sort of the same level as ‘.net’ and ‘.org’ and ‘.edu’ address domains, and India has quickly put it to good use. Squarely at those with adult or sexually explicit websites, the idea behind the genre-specific domain is a more regulated and secure environment for online payments; it also makes it extremely easy for schools and parents to block porn on computers frequently used by children, and a good example would be India.

ICM Registry, the company behind the .xxx domain, says it has seen tremendous interest in the new domain and claims that more than 200,000 have already applied to reserve domains. However, it seems not everyone is so excited about the arrival of the new domain. In India, where the distribution of adult content is illegal, access to .xxx domains will not be available.

“India along with many other countries from the Middle East and Indonesia opposed the grant of the domain in the first place, and we would proceed to block the whole domain, as it goes against the IT Act and Indian laws,” The Economic Times cites a senior official at the Indian ministry of IT as saying.

“Though some people have said that segregation is better, and some countries allow it. But for other nations transmission and direct distribution of such content goes against their moral and culture.”

Though ICM says there is a substantial interest in ‘.xxx’ domains, there is a concern among adult entertainment companies that because ‘.xxx’ sites are so easily blocked, those who decide not to register an ‘.xxx’ address could be at risk, because the ministry would proceed to take action on a case to case basis, if you register at ‘.xxx’ and yet still keep your ‘.com’ operating to avoid being blocked.

Of course, registering to ‘.xxx’ is not a MUST for current webmasters.

SOURCE via India Times