Turkish government officials have banned Reddit because ‘Reddit is pornographic in nature’ and violates its internet censorship laws. Turkish law allows banning of websites that permeate piracy or pornographic content.
Reddit is Pornographic: Blocked Under Turkish Internet Censorship Law 5651
Under this law, the Turkish government is allowed to block any websites that contain pirated content, pornography, of any websites that contain criticism or slander against current President Mustafa Ataturk. Turkish officials state that under these grounds, Reddit is pornographic and therefore has no audience in the Turkish mainstream.
The Truth Is: Whether Reddit is Pornographic Or Not Doesn’t Matter
Reddit, like many of its contemporaries, has a wealth of pornographic content, but it is mostly used for humor and as a platform to spread pop culture news and even to host virtual scavenger hunts and spread conspiracy theories. 4CHAN could also be considered pornographic in nature, but this does not merit a ban of this degree.
Turkey Also Blocked YouTube In April 2015
The Turkish government blocked YouTube this year as well, along with a URL shortening service called bitly. Though all blocked sites can be accessed by adjusting users’ DNS settings, the Turkish government has made it clear that websites like Reddit should not be widespread through the country for the raciness of their content.
Despite this ban, it’s very likely that anyone who is an avid Reddit user will continue to use Reddit, and if Reddit is pornographic in nature, this will probably bring curiosity to even people who’ve never heard of Reddit.
