Operators of Over 400 Pirate Adult Websites Face Prison

Vietnamese police recently announced prosecutions against operators managing over 400 pirate adult websites.

The men allegedly circumvented blocking measures at ISPs either owned by, or closely connected to, the government.

These prosecutions highlight Vietnam’s strict approach to adult content, where making, possessing and distributing such material remains illegal.

Two Adult Site Operators Face Serious Charges

Police provided an outline of crimes allegedly committed by two men said to operate hundreds of sites. Vu Van Thin, a 1988-born resident of Thái Nguyên province, reportedly launched his first site in 2018.

His alleged partner, Dinh Manh Dung (born 1989) from Thanh Hóa province, worked both independently and in collaboration with Thìn.

The scale of operations was massive. Thìn allegedly created and managed 287 websites containing 21,000 videos, while Dung operated over 100 similar sites with approximately 1,000 uploaded videos.

Easy Money Leads to Expansion

The defendants discovered that generating revenue through advertising proved simple. Police reports indicate the men used sophisticated technical methods to increase profits while evading telecommunications service provider censorship throughout Vietnam.

Since many users prefer free content, these sites operated on advertising-based revenue models rather than subscriptions. This approach attracted large numbers of visitors despite the illegal nature of the content.

Government Blocking Circumvention

Rather than operating 400 distinct websites, the defendants likely used hundreds of domains connected to limited sites. This strategy helps circumvent ISP blocking measures, a technique commonly seen across the broader streaming piracy sector.

Vietnam deploys blocking at local ISPs owned by the state or operated by entities closely connected to the government.

In other areas around the world, tools like VPNs and DNS proxies are common for bypassing site blocks with little effort.

Serious Legal Consequences

While prosecutions of regular pirate site operators in Vietnam fall well short of Western rightsholders’ expectations, the distribution of prohibited content is described by police as a very serious crime. The charges involve “infringing on fine customs and social ethics.”

Circumventing state-ordered blocking measures while distributing state-banned content could prove costly for the defendants. Revenue generated through advertisements may factor into sentencing, though the nature of those ads could create additional complications.

Final Thoughts

This case demonstrates Vietnam’s willingness to pursue serious legal action against adult content pirates.

The use of hundreds of domains to circumvent government blocking shows how operators adapt to enforcement measures.

With potential prison time and substantial fines at stake, this prosecution sends a clear message about Vietnam’s stance on illegal adult content distribution.

For more information on this story, refer to the original report from a Vietnam local news source and the article from TorrentFreak.

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