In the PRC there are criminal laws which prohibit the production, dissemination, and selling of sexually explicit material, and anyone doing so may be sentenced to life imprisonment.
[7] According to Article 68 of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, it is illegal to produce, transport, duplicate, sell or lend pornographic materials including books, periodicals, pictures, movies and audio-video products, or disseminate pornographic information by making use of computer information networks, telephones or other means of communications, violators shall be detained for no less than 10 days but no more than 15 days and may, in addition, be fined no more than 3,000 yuan; and if the circumstances are relatively minor, they shall be detained for no more than 5 days or be fined no more than 500 yuan; simple possession is legal.
[10] Giant companies like Baidu, Tencent which provides Cloud storages and P2P offline download services (Seedbox), will often change pornographic videos to "8 seconds educational videos" to educate users that the government is conducting a campaign to combat pornography and illegal activities, or to simply prevent users from downloading or uploading pornographic materials.
Section Five of the Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection, and Management Regulations was the first time pornography was specifically targeted and banned in China's criminal law.
that explicitly portray sexual behavior or undisguisedly publicize pornographic materials", but made exception for those used for medical or artistic purposes.
[11][12] The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's prohibition on pornography has been complete, and the government has shown no signs of reversing its decision.
[16] Xinhuanet states that "Chinese cultural traditions and moral values do not allow obscene and pornographic information to spread unchecked on the Internet".
Some critics claim that censorship disproportionately targets LGBT content, which leads to higher criminalization of authors and creators who attempt to make pornography more inclusive.
The business model for these websites requires visitors to navigate through pay-per-click advertisements for sex toys, Viagra-esque pills, and online casinos before they can watch or download pornographic content.
[19] In 2005 authorities sentenced its eleven workers, among them teachers and civil servants, to imprisonment ranging from three to twelve years for disseminating obscene material.
In October 2006 authorities closed down "Erotica Juneday", which charged its highest-paying members 3,999 yuan (then around $490) a year, and sentenced founder Chen Hui to life imprisonment.
To complicate matters, the rapid growth of the Internet has made explicit content, such as pornography, widely accessible to people of all ages.
[26] In Hong Kong, the Adult FriendFinder (AFF.com) website operates within a sophisticated and Western-influenced metropolis, marked by high-tech infrastructure and underlying moral conservatism.
Despite efforts by progressive communities and sex activists to foster a sex-positive cultural climate, tensions persist between Chinese and Western mindsets.
The site's membership in Hong Kong exhibits a significant gender imbalance, with around 100,000 male members compared to 8,000 females in December 2007.
The uneven gender ratio on AFF.com in Hong Kong creates opportunities for non-Chinese men, particularly Caucasians, to connect with Chinese women.
Female profiles, predominantly from Asian women, often adopt names associated with 'whore-like' or 'bad girl' femininity, with explicit photos focusing on specific body parts.