Is it legal to watch porn in Europe? Western European pornographic legislation – blog sinparty

European porn is a large industry. This is not surprising given its liberal reputation. Nine of the fifteen countries hosting most porn sites are actually located in Europe.

European porn is a big market. We'll be looking at the west side of Europe. There will also be a separate article to help you check the laws in the East. Are you thinking "it's all legal. Get out of here!"? You can expect more.

We will be looking at European porn laws that cover 18 countries located in Western Europe. Are you not sure if your European country is covered? Instead, check out our guide to porn law in Eastern Europe.

All over Europe, illegal porn is common

Before we get into detail about the European porn laws, let's first look at one common feature that applies to all. As you would expect, child pornography in all these countries is illegal.

Child pornography is punishable in Europe with harsh penalties. For making, distributing and viewing child pornography, prison sentences can last for years. This is right.

SinParty complies with all anti-child porn laws. We also verify the age and identity of each performer. It won't be mentioned by every country's laws but you can be certain that any content of anyone younger than 18 is illegal in all of these jurisdictions.

European porn laws by country. - Western Europe

Austria

Porn in Austria, aside from bestiality (or sex with animals), is legal. You can watch and buy softcore porn as a 16-year old, while hardcore porn must be viewed by those aged 18 or older.

Belgium

There is nothing to see. Well, except porn. Porno is legal in Belgium to sell, watch, and make. This is it...

Denmark

1969 was the year of love and the first European country to legalize pornography. It is still legal today; it feels like they peaked too early.

Finland

If you are 15 years old, you can legally purchase softcore porn. For hardcore porn in Finland, that age jumps up to 18. Porn that depicts violence and bestiality is also prohibited.

France

France is or was famous for its porn industry. European porn-lovers found it easy to find sexy softcore porn. In fact, Spanish companies organised tours across the border. To access hardcore pornography, you must be at least 16 years old.

France has a porn tax, which is 33% for X-rated films and 50% for online pornography.

Germany

As you would expect from this bastion in sexual liberation, pornography is legal in Germany.

Greece

While pornography has been legal in Greece for a while (albeit with some gray areas), it wasn't until 2008 that the country was able to legally create porn. Go for your life, Greek SinParty creators!

Iceland

The northerly island is a bit more conservative. Publication and sale of porn is still illegal in Iceland. The maximum sentence is six months imprisonment. A total ban on porn was introduced in 2013. However, this was rejected and it never became law.

Ireland

Surprisingly, in a country of large religious influence there are not specific laws about pornography in Ireland. Although there are laws regarding "obscenity", the term is not well-defined and hasn't been used for years.

Italy

It has laws regarding porn in the penal code of Italy. Publication of obscenity was made illegal in Italy in 1980. The law was interpreted as providing protection against unwanted porn. Attitudes have changed. No one will stop you from watching people in Italy fucking on their computers.

Malta

It's not surprising that there are severe penalties for porn in this conservative and Catholic island. Even as recently as 2011, pornography-related offenses were being prosecuted.

2016 saw the law being updated. Anything that was not "extreme", i.e. It was legal to pose a danger to your life. Extreme porn can result in up to three years imprisonment.

Netherlands

Another European country that is known for its liberal views on sex and nudity. It's not surprising that porn was not fully legalised until 1985. You can still access porn if you are under 16

Norway

Norway only legalized pornography in 2006 It is not illegal to create sexual content in Norway.

Portugal

Portugal has designated cinemas where porn can be sold. However, this may seem a bit outdated in today's porn market. The legal age to enter these adult cinemas or to get any porn is 18 years old.

Spain

Franco, the Fascist dictatorship, made porn illegal. It seems that totalitarian regimes are increasingly banning pornography. These frisky Spaniards were not all discouraged and would travel to Spain to enjoy their pornography.

Today, porn can be legally sold but not on newsstands. This isn't a 21 st Century issue. Private Media Group, one of the largest players in porn industry in Spain, is headquartered in Barcelona.

Sweden

It shouldn't surprise you to learn that Sweden has extremely liberal laws regarding pornography. You can only access porn at your own discretion. Even though bestiality is not banned, it is covered under animal welfare legislation.

Hentai is a Japanese cartoon porn that Sweden has banned. Some hentai were banned under their child porn laws because they suggested that the characters had a look below 18.

Switzerland

You can be sentenced to up to three years imprisonment in Switzerland if you show porn to someone under 16. You can also be imprisoned for bestiality, snuff and rape. Although scat at watersports porn (poo and urine porn for those who are wet behind your ears) was illegal up until 2014, it was legalised that year.

The United Kingdom

A few years ago, the UK introduced some very interesting porn laws. You can't watch them, but there are some interesting acts that are prohibited from being filmed in the UK for porn.

Some recent rules include:

• There is no penetration of an object that has been associated with violence

• Female ejaculation - no squirting

• Facesitting

• Fisting

We have a complete article that explains the laws in the UK on porn.

Accessing European porn

No country on our list prohibits you from accessing pornography. Understanding the laws in other countries is important, especially if travelling - you don’t want to run into problems as you travel.

You can find porn in other countries around the globe. It can be difficult to watch porn and access SinParty content while on the go. See What Globetrotters Do To Access Their Sexual Content On The Move.

What is the purpose of porn regulation?

The international attitudes toward pornography, sex and nudity is changing. Many countries ban porn because of religious reasons. However, as we've seen, you can still have a religious country like Malta or Ireland and allow your citizens to enjoy the good stuff.

Some countries have a more moralistic view of porn. Before the fall of the iron curtain, there was a wide ban on porn in Warsaw Pact nations. This was primarily political. The goal was to ban porn from American and Western European countries and subvert politics.

There are many other bizarre laws in the world regarding sex, along with porn laws. Although they are no longer in force, some states have banned blowjobs. You can also read our guide to strange sex laws from around the globe to learn more about dildo bans or enforced knicker wear.

It's time to bring it all together

Access to European porn is easy, at least on the west side. It is not difficult to see which countries have strict regulations on adult content.

Although we haven't mentioned it for every country, it's important to remember that child pornography in all of these countries is prohibited. It is strictly enforced in western Europe, where it is illegal to make, view, or distribute sexual images of children.

If you are based or working in western Europe, you have no restrictions as to what you can create for your SinParty.