Pornography’s easy access fuels sexualization and violence against women globally, exacerbated by technology and legal gaps.
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Access to pornography is nearly unrestricted in Poland, even for minors, despite government efforts to block websites; data shows almost one in five surveyed individuals first encountered sexual content online before age ten, influencing their understanding of sexuality and gender roles. In Poland, about 90% of adult site traffic comes from mobile phones, while 80% of children and adolescents report no parental controls are installed. Unhindered pornography shapes young people’s views on sexual relationships and body standards in increasingly brutal ways. Research indicates a positive correlation between exposure to violent pornography and increased propensity for violence against women, with reports showing that 90% of the most viewed pornographic films globally contained one or more forms of violence against actresses.
Violence persists within the adult film industry, primarily affecting women who often enter it due to poor living conditions or are held captive by organized groups. New technologies like AI have introduced deepfakes, allowing non-consensual creation of explicit content; in 2023 alone, nearly 100,000 such videos were published online, with the legal system struggling to keep pace with this technological advancement. Deep porn constitutes 98% of all deepfake films, almost exclusively targeting women.
In France, recent court cases have exposed organized crime behind amateur pornography sites that featured authentic group rapes and human trafficking, while other productions involved coercion, drugging, and threats against performers. Despite high consumption rates (7 in 10 French citizens visit pornographic sites), the industry faces ongoing legal scrutiny regarding performer rights.
Globally, activists highlight that contemporary pornography is often misogynistic, heteronormative, and racist, with violent content dominating markets. Experts suggest that while education on critically viewing pornography could reduce violence, its easy accessibility makes it difficult to prevent youth exposure. In Spain, organizations are fighting for sexual workers’ rights, but research by Mabel Lozano concludes that the pornographic industry fuels structural violence against women and girls, noting that collective rape is among the most viewed types of content.
In Italy, while adult consumption is legal for adults, laws criminalize non-consensual distribution (“revenge porn”), and regulatory bodies are implementing filtering software on SIM cards for minors. In Hungary, high daily pornography viewership rivals mainstream news sites, yet there are no specific legal frameworks governing the industry. While some countries have introduced age verification mechanisms or content blocking mandates (like in Poland’s proposed legislation), sexual workers lack formal labor rights in many places, and the stigma surrounding the industry remains significant. Furthermore, Polish law currently fails to criminalize AI-generated explicit material involving children, even if it is not sexually explicit.
