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How to Regulate the Porn Industry?

I was looking around to determine whether I was going to believe claims that porn was addictive, harmful to families, harmful to people, and I found myself on a tangent. Apparently there is widespread agreement that the porn industry is frequently operating outside the law and that porn actors are not treated fairly, but there is not a plan to address it. There is also widespread understanding that regulation of porn is ambiguous and doesn't seem wise to the public in how its being done. Guidance from the courts is bizarre, putting it under the free speech clause.

Here is one porn actress trying to start up a site that does better, and she says she can't get anyone interested in improving the porn industry:

We have some extremes in how we regulate porn. Children aren't permitted access to porn magazines in stores, but most children have access to free porn across the internet. There is no automatic protection there, and the porn that's available can include deviant behavior and violence. This concerns some people more than others, but its a schizophrenic approach to regulating porn. Its an all or nothing approach which currently is set to full tilt all mode. It comes from considering porn to be free speech. This confuses the issue. Often we have laws aimed at reducing child access to porn, but they are overturned by courts because of free speech. I don't think porn is free speech. I do think it is a right but not a free speech right and is part of the pursuit of happiness not speech. Court precedents can sometimes seem detached from reality. The courts need to return to the wisdom of upholding the dignity of the court, perhaps do an about face, perhaps be willing to rethink. They are digging themselves into a hole by making too many things equal to free speech.

The value of porn is what? We can obviously survive without it and apparently have trouble regulating it. Its a pursuit of happiness issue not a free speech issue. It should regulated in a way that children cannot gain access without adult assistance. Its very simple to do that. You simply require adult identification, and you require web sites to require that identification. That isn't happening, because the courts have gone insane on this issue. What cannot be construed as free speech? What behavior, in the end, isn't free speech?
Thanks, Brickjectivity, for creating an OP about this.

I consider myself to be socially liberal. That means I do not see porn as a "sin". On the other hand, that also means I believe in protecting workers and women from being exploited. As a result, there is a fundamental tension in my belief system and I do not know what is the appropriate level of regulation of the porn industry.

I don't know what the answer is, and look forward to considering the thoughts expressed on this thread by people who have thought about it more than I have!
 
If this is Satan's world he is awesome. People very rarely die of bug bites anymore, and things like polio are unknown to so many. Poverty and starvation has been significantly reduced, and so much of the world has never faced lower odds of dying a violent death and instead dying of complications related to that. We've never had better chances of things like that happening to us. Instead of worrying about little rain causing a poor harvest, we worry about Youtube going down.
Compared to god's world of superstition, bloodshed, oppression, criminalization of science, and prayers that lend scant and contradicting evidence as to whether they work or not over medicines that have a solid track record of working. Kings who ruled by divine right, and peasants who could hope to do and be nothing else or more. And no choice at all over so many things.
Satan's world isn't perfect, but it's tons better than the world our ancestor's knew when god was firmly in control.
Wow. Very interestingly put. Thanks for this, it was thought-provoking.
 
Porn is an art form as old as humanity. Pushing it underground does nothing but amplify the issues
Regulate, have workers unions, ID checks for workers and a board to oversee and discipline the industry like any other workforce on eart
This was a very good answer. Thanks for this.
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
It is admittedly difficult to find society as sexually repressed as ours is. That could be a factor, but it could be fallacious, too to cite it as the cause. The correlation could be misleading. What societies that aren't sexually repressed don't, to your knowledge, have a similar problem of mistreating sex workers? What's a good example?
The idea wouldn't be a magic wand, but I don't see why it wouldn't help make porn work and prostitution safer.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
Cartoon child porn isn't illegal or isn't enforced as such. The law only goes after photographic porn. All a child has to do is type in "What is porn?" Any mobile phone, any desktop, even some public kiosks and libraries. Again I'm not against the existence of porn, but it should be regulated in a way that protects children from getting to it on their own early.

Filters are Ok but filters don't care about children. They aren't intelligent.
I believe it is illegal in the UK and possibly in some other countries, and would be prosecuted. And as I have mentioned before, even images that actually are of those over 18 but who might on appearance look younger, these too might see one prosecuted. Has happened in the US I believe and possibly elsewhere.
 
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PureX

Veteran Member
You don't seem to know much about humans. There is no exploitation there if the couple is willingly wanting to do it.
They are exploiting the needs/desires of those they would make pay to see their "show". You don't seem to be able to recognize exploitation very well, or how deeply it harms people.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
That does not justify it. So lets stop it where we can, and where it's particularly toxic.
That means we must adress this from the bottom-up, top-botton or nkthing changes.
They are exploiting the needs/desires of those they would make pay to see their "show". You don't seem to be able to recognize exploitation very well, or how deeply it harms people.
I think you'd rather create victims where there are none. Like a webcam show where performers only do what they are comfortable with, have the ability to boot people from their channel, and they do not have to fulfill a request. And what of those who get paid for a private session with a lonely man who want company and nothing sexual in return? Or someone who just pays to look at their feet?
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I'm not concerned with the sexual behavior of other animals. They can't know any better.
Such anthropocentrism is about as bad as a pimp degrading and exploit women who work for him (and it certainly does lead to abuse and exploitation of animals, because they're "animals and dont know any better.)
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
You missed my point. I'm only suggesting we ban FOR-PROFIT pornography. You can share all the images and stories and activities you want to, so long as they're free (and done with legal, informed consent). I am not against the sexual content, only the profit motive behind it. Because that profit motive perverts 'free and informed consent' and enables and encourages sexual, physical, and emotional exploitation. Nearly every pornographic image being created is the result of ill-informed coercion for the sake of profit, and would not exist without that toxic motive.
What is this, 1970s radical feminism? No, I don't think sex work is inherently exploitation, if one is a consenting adult and doesn't feel exploited. Then it's the same as any other job. What you're proposing is basically restructuring society, which isn't practical.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
The idea wouldn't be a magic wand, but I don't see why it wouldn't help make porn work and prostitution safer.
If porn work can be made safe then it should. It is taking decades for somebody to simply take an interest in a multi billion dollar industry and not ignore the cries of abuse. Maybe the government can't be trusted to fix this kind of thing. We've seen in our own history numerous examples of government turning a blind eye.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
If porn work can be made safe then it should. It is taking decades for somebody to simply take an interest in a multi billion dollar industry and not ignore the cries of abuse. Maybe the government can't be trusted to fix this kind of thing. We've seen in our own history numerous examples of government turning a blind eye.
It's more the long established tradition of people not giving a **** about those who do sex related things for income. Like murders against prostitutes that are low priority, have no one pushing for them to be solved, and go unsolved. You want those in porn to have better conditions? Are you prepared to accept being labeled a pervert who supports filth by society at large?
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
It's more the long established tradition of people not giving a **** about those who do sex related things for income. Like murders against prostitutes that are low priority, have no one pushing for them to be solved, and go unsolved. You want those in porn to have better conditions? Are you prepared to accept being labeled a pervert who supports filth by society at large?
Not just sex related things, but sure sex related things. Its any smallish group that can fall prey to the argument that they wouldn't be missed if something happened to them.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
I believe it is illegal in the UK and possibly in some other countries, and would be prosecuted. And as I have mentioned before, even images that actually are of those over 18 but who might on appearance look younger, these too might see one prosecuted. Has happened in the US I believe and possibly elsewhere.
Generally that only happens if a person is found with photographs of real children. Then the cartoons are added as an additional charge, and its a criminal charge. Understandably prosecutors are discouraged from prosecuting for cartoon porn use, since it makes the person a registered sex offender and a felon. Therefore they only prosecute when its on combination with something else.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Not just sex related things, but sure sex related things. Its any smallish group that can fall prey to the argument that they wouldn't be missed if something happened to them.
And that is basically sex-workers in general throughout history. Few do care. That is why regulation of pornography is scant. There is abuse, but who is going to care about them when and where it happens?
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
Generally that only happens if a person is found with photographs of real children. Then the cartoons are added as an additional charge, and its a criminal charge. Understandably prosecutors are discouraged from prosecuting for cartoon porn use, since it makes the person a registered sex offender and a felon. Therefore they only prosecute when its on combination with something else.
This could be true, and I haven't seen any evidence (mainly via news articles) to indicate otherwise, but they still would be illegal to possess. Often the details of such cases are not disclosed.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
This could be true, and I haven't seen any evidence (mainly via news articles) to indicate otherwise, but they still would be illegal to possess. Often the details of such cases are not disclosed.
I don't say this to bring horror to you, but large, commonly used, free porn sites carry cartoons with under aged people engaged in sexual acts, incest and brutality. Its still drawings and animated and in great quantity. I'm not talking about the dark web, and I'm not talking about paid services. I mean its everywhere and as simple as typing in a search word, and its on fast servers. This is why you will hear people (on the right) claim that the government is conspiring to encourage pedophilia. The current government defends this as free speech and has a schizophrenia about it. Maybe the books say its illegal but is it illegal? Its more of an "Also we're charging you with this" kind of tool and something the prosecutor can use as leverage to press for confessions to crimes. "Admit your guilt in this robbery or we'll charge you with child porn, too; because we have your internet history. We'll ruin you." You see how its kind of insidious? Is it illegal? Then why do they allow it to be out there on the web so commonly? What if its being used to pressure our politicians? What if they are being entrapped and controlled? The laws must be clarified.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
I don't say this to bring horror to you, but large, commonly used, free porn sites carry cartoons with under aged people engaged in sexual acts, incest and brutality. Its still drawings and animated and in great quantity. I'm not talking about the dark web, and I'm not talking about paid services. I mean its everywhere and as simple as typing in a search word, and its on fast servers. This is why you will hear people (on the right) claim that the government is conspiring to encourage pedophilia. The current government defends this as free speech and has a schizophrenia about it. Maybe the books say its illegal but is it illegal? Its more of an "Also we're charging you with this" kind of tool and something the prosecutor can use as leverage to press for confessions to crimes. "Admit your guilt in this robbery or we'll charge you with child porn, too; because we have your internet history. We'll ruin you." You see how its kind of insidious? Is it illegal? Then why do they allow it to be out there on the web so commonly? What if its being used to pressure our politicians? What if they are being entrapped and controlled? The laws must be clarified.
I must admit to not looking too far in my image searching these days, being only a few well known sites. As to the cartoons, well the countries where it is illegal do not necessarily control the domains where such originates, and as such, it is often upon one to know what is legal and what is not in one's own country. All very confusing these days. Not sure about the dates but I believe Russia had a different age for being involved in sexual imagery - and lower than the age now set at 18 - but hopefully all such images have been purged from circulation. Likewise, there are a number of females who would pass for being under 18 even if older, and on well known adult porn sites. I can't see this continuing before something is done about it.
 
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