German Court Rules in Favor of Ban on Cyprus-Based Adult Sites

BERLIN — A court has ruled that German authorities are justified in banning three adult sites based in Cyprus from operating in Germany, citing rules intended to protect minors, according to an Associated Press report. The Duesseldorf administrative court on Wednesday rejected complaints by the sites' two unnamed operators, who argued that child-protection regulations in Germany didn't apply to them because they were based in another European Union country, AP reported. The court said the decision—made by the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia state—to ban the sites in Germany did not conflict with national, European or international law, acccording to AP. Judges concluded that German law applies, citing studies showing half of all minors questioned had viewed available online porn, while only a quarter of parents used devices or software to block such content. According to AP, the site names in question were not named and the ruling can be appealed.