News that the country of Iceland might ban access to online porn is welcome. Fear about the widespread harm from pornography, which is well justified, is the driving force behind this development. The country already has a law forbidding the printing and distribution of pornography.
It is not at all surprising that Iceland or any other country would want to ban pornography. Consumption of pornography is causing a worldwide pandemic of harm. Morality in Media maintains an extensive online database of peer-reviewed research on the harm from pornography, PornHarmsResearch.com, accessed and used by people in every country in the world.
In the United States, our Congress, state legislatures and our courts have long recognized the harmful nature of pornography and banned most of it. In fact, it is currently a violation of federal law to distribute “obscene” or hardcore adult porn on the Internet, on cable/satellite TV, on hotel/motel TV, in retail shops, through the mail, and by common carrier such as UPS or FedEx. But one person has taken it upon himself to thwart these sensible laws: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Holder disbanded the Obscenity Prosecution Task Force in the Department of Justice and has refused to initiate even one new adult obscenity case since he became attorney general four years ago. At least we know who is responsible for the harm to women, children, and indeed all in American society caused by pornography.
Patrick A. Trueman, president and CEO of Morality in Media, was the chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice from 1988 to 1993.
