Is pornography prohibited in northern African countries under international law? – blog sinparty

Are you looking to travel across Africa? Are you not familiar with the Northern African porn laws? This is not something you want to do and end up in jail just for checking your SinParty feed.

There are many perspectives on porn law internationally. To give you an idea of the layout, we have created a map and gone into detail about the laws in Southeast Asia and eastern, as well as the USA.

This is not legal advice. However, we did some digging to find out what the porn laws in the top-half of Africa look like. It can be difficult to find the details about Northern Africa's porn laws. If you are unsure, speak with locals.

There are still some countries without clear laws regarding child pornography. It is still illegal and you should not seek images of children younger than 18. It is still illegal and you could be charged in your country for doing so.

Porn is banned in...

Nigeria

Although Nigeria is the country where porn is most searched for in Africa, there was an indecent or obscene content ban in 2015. However, because it doesn't specifically outlaw porn, people can still access it from there.

Ethiopia

According to Ethiopia's penal code, "obscure or indecent publications" constitute illegal as they "corrupt morals". You would argue that the internet can be considered a publication. You might be interested in spending some time in Addis Ababa’s most prestigious prison.

Egypt

A court order in 2009 banned porn from Egypt. The order was not strictly enforced as Egypt had other issues to deal with. However, the government began cracking down on online porn in 2015.

It's difficult to avoid restrictions because words and actions don't always align. Be careful.

Algeria

It might surprise you that north African countries with large Muslim populations took so long for porn to be banned. It wasn't until November 2018, in Algeria, that a law specifically prohibited pornography.

Sudan

Since the beginning, porn in Sudan has been banned for many years. In 2019, porn was made available online. The government does not go out of its way for legal, consensual, or adult porn to be blocked or removed. It seems they have some chill.

Morocco

Morocco has laws that prohibit pornography. However, having a law and actually enforcing it are two different things. Searching for porn sites will not reveal errors and you won't find any evidence that anyone is getting into trouble. Be cautious and be careful when browsing porn online.

Ghana

Ghana's laws against porn date back to 1960. This made it illegal to make porno films. Porno was not banned in Ghana until 2016. However, porn still was being shown on Ghanaian TV until 2017, when there were public complaints. This led to calls for its removal.

Cameroon

Obscene publications are prohibited in Cameroon's penal code. It is possible to go back to the question of whether a website constitutes a publication. But we won't. Child pornography was banned completely in 2019 by new laws.

Côte d'Ivoire

It is not easy to get a straight answer about the porn laws of Cote d'Ivoire. It is not permitted to be imported in accordance with the laws of most other countries. It is illegal to import it. There are strict laws against "gross Indecency", which are used to oppress gay communities. However, it is not clear if those laws will stop you viewing porn. Be cautious.

Niger

The porn laws in Niger, which are unclear, don't have any concrete statutes. Many human rights organisations in West Africa are concerned about the absence of a legal definition for a child. This is not a reason to be able to view images of Niger's under-18s.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has outlawed child pornography. It is difficult to find any information about pornography in Burkina Faso's laws. We didn't find any concrete evidence. However, that doesn't mean it isn't there. If you are travelling to or living in the area, get advice from locals.

Mali

Mali is a country with a majority Muslim population. You wouldn't expect porn to be easily accessible there. It's actually the Ministry of Islamic Affairs who deals with Mali's porn ban. Access is difficult while there.

Senegal

In 2017, an Islamic broadcast TV station was hacked. Senegalese daytime television broadcast more than 30 minutes hardcore porn, instead of their usual prayers and stories from the holy book. Although porn laws are generally unclear, there are strict laws regarding revenge porn. This is a positive.

Chad

It is difficult to find information about the laws regarding porn in the country because "Chad" has become a meme that refers to white, urban men. Although we couldn't find any laws regarding porn, that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't out there.

Guinea

This tiny nation in West Africa doesn't appear to have any laws regarding the internet. None at all. This means that adult content should be easily accessible. However, there are some laws that are fairly new about child porn.

Benin

Unfortunately, there are no laws regarding child pornography in this country. I will say it again: Just because there is no law in the country doesn't mean that you won't be locked up in your country for accessing images of Benin. Child pornography, which is illegal, immoral, and disgusting, is unacceptable.

Tunisia

In a shoot back between 2011 and 2012, the law was rewritten and altered more times than Abella Danger. Up until this point, there had been internet filtering that blocked porn. After legal battles, filters were put in place to block sites. The highest court of the country then overturned it. Now porn in Tunisia can be accessed again. Hurrah!

South Sudan

For possessing porn in South Sudan, you can spend as much as three years in prison. Section 260 of the country's criminal code states that "obscene novels etc." are prohibited. Do you think that this "etc" is a misinterpretation of the original meaning?

Togo

According to article 89 of the Togo criminal code, pornography is "contrary and decency". Perhaps someone should introduce Togo's lawmakers to decent porn to hear their opinions.

Sierra Leone

In 2012, Sierra Leone's parliament passed the Sexual Offences Act. This law prohibits "possessing...indecent material", its distribution and circulation.

Libya

Another country in turmoil, Libya was the latest to decide that internet porn needs laws and rules. In fact, porn in Libya was blocked in 2013. They are considered offensive in the country. The negative attitude towards porn in Libya is directly linked to the presence of Islam in the Mediterranean country.

Liberia

Liberia makes it illegal to possess pornography. In 2019, there was scandal when illegal migrant miners from the countryside were caught making and disseminating pornography. There were calls for stricter enforcement.

Mauritania

As you would expect, porn in Mauritania is not legal and accessible because it has a legal system based on Sharia - which are the Islamic rules that Muslims must follow -

Eritrea

Eritrea is another country that is very religious. Most people in the country are Christians, and a small number of Muslims. Porn is prohibited in Eritrea because of the strong religious focus. It is also tightly regulated, unlike other countries that we have looked at.

Gambia

Revenge porn, where nudes or sex tapes are made without consent and distributed without consent, has been made illegal by The Gambia. Other than that, pornography appears to be legal to access or make.

Guinea Bissau

Other than a ban on the export of pornography, there is no other restriction on adult porn in Guinea Bissau's laws. In recent years, child pornography was also made illegal.

Djibouti

Djibouti, another country with a Muslim majority, bans porn. It's a violation of good morals. Anyone caught watching or making porn can be sentenced to a year in prison and a fine of approximately US$1,100.

Cabo Verde

This group of islands off Africa's west coast is another country that doesn’t have any laws regarding accessing mainstream pornography. As you would expect, there are child pornography laws which ban the practice.