The Australian porn industry might seem like an inappropriate and even taboo topic to talk about. However, we can’t allow these taboos to stifle the conversation about the important issues that plague the industry, especially in regards to the confusing thicket of laws that govern it.
Having a discussion about Aussie porn is far more than what arouses or titillates; it’s about ensuring that the health and safety of those who work in porn are protected, and that the industry itself is legitimised for the growing body of performers who are finding it difficult to break into the scene.
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How Many People Are Watching Australian Porn?
According to PornHub, Australia is the 9th-ranked country in terms of generating traffic for the site. And among the horniest cities in the world, three out of the top 20 are in the land down under – Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
There aren’t any hard numbers on the number of Australian porn watchers, but surveys show that most Australians have watched porn at some point. Based on the results of a 2013 survey in The Journal of Sex Research, 84% of men and 54% of women in Australia have seen some kind of porn. In addition, a study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health reported that between 73% and 93% of adolescent boys and 11-62% of adolescent girls in Australia have encountered porn.
Is Porn Free To Watch? Are Paid Services Rated Better?
There are plenty of porn websites that provide a huge selection of pornographic videos absolutely free of charge. For most people looking for a quick way to enjoy themselves, free material is usually enough. So what are the selling points of the various paid services out there?
For one, many paid services provide high-quality videos of their scenes. A lot of the porn on free sites is limited to lower resolutions like 480p and 540p, with few 720p HD videos readily available. Purchasing a paid subscription to a site can give you access to 720p, 1080p, and even mind-numbingly detailed 4K porn.
In addition, many free videos are actually short previews of longer scenes. These free videos cut out a large chunk of the content and pretty much act as teasers for the full versions. Paid services can give you access to these full-length scenes, and sometimes with extras such as behind-the-scenes footage.
Some paid porn services also sell porn scenes that cater to various preferences or fetishes. The more exotic fetishes might not have representation on free sites. If you also enjoy the work of a particular porn star, purchasing a subscription to her material might give you premium, early access to her videos before they launch on free sites. You may even get a chance to interact with her over webcam or chat.
Finally, and very importantly in the modern age, premium services are often safer than some random free site you might find on the Web. Many free sites lack the essential HTTPS protocol, which safeguards your personal information and login credentials from being stolen by malicious third parties.
Does Australia Have Many Porn Sites? How Do They Compare To Other Countries?
Like many countries, Australia has its own local porn sites featuring homegrown talent. Most of these sites aren’t necessarily better or worse than offerings from other countries.
However, there’s a growing ‘ethical’ porn movement in Australia that aims to improve the state of the industry. It’s no secret that the industry has a cultural and regulatory problem, with many major concerns about consent, abuse, and the protection of performers.
Ethical porn seeks to address this problem by guaranteeing that performers have consented to every act that occurs in each video, and that all actors and actresses receive psychological and medical screening. Some of these ethical Australian porn sites include Light Southern and Bright Desire.
Is Porn Legal In Australia?
This is where it can get a little confusing. A lot of pornography is actually illegal to distribute in most parts of Australia. Specifically, any media that is classified as X18+ by the Australian Classification Board can only be distributed in the ACT and Northern Territory. However, you can order porn from these two legal porn states and have it shipped to another state, and the material will remain legal to possess.
Internet pornography and other X18+ content are legal to view for personal use, but illegal to upload. If a complaint is made about any locally-hosted site, the Australian Communications and Media Authority can have the video taken down. The laws are rarely enforced, but many Australian porn sites host their work on international servers, which aren’t under the jurisdiction of the ACMA or eSafety Commissioner.
In addition, production of pornographic material is illegal in all states except the ACT, which maintains a unique licensing system created by the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) (Enforcement) Act 1995.
The law generally tiptoes around the creation of pornography in Australia, and there are no health regulations that protect porn actresses. This is one of the concerns that ethical and feminist porn aims to address.
Are There Any Big Australian Porn Stars?
Yes! There are several Australian porn stars who’ve achieved international fame.
One of the most famous Aussie porn stars is Angela White, whose career began in 2003. She’s won some of the top honours in the adult film industry, including the AVN Female Performer of the Year award.
Another famous porn star is Monica Mayhem, a retired porn star whose career ran from 2000-2010. She started her career as an exotic dancer in the UK, before moving to the US to perform in porn.
What Are The Revenge Porn Laws In Australia?
In 2018, the Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2018 was passed, making it illegal to upload intimate videos and photos online without the consent of the people involved in the content. Revenge porn falls under the description of the illegal acts in the bill, and it carries a fine of up to $AUD 105,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.
What Types Of Porn Are Available In Australia?
For amateur porn lovers looking for a more authentic feel, Girls Out West produces videos featuring amateur Australian actresses. The company is notable for being entirely owned by women, a rarity in the industry.
The perfect porn site can be hard to find in a world of free ‘tube’ sites that spam content in every direction, so it can be helpful to turn to sites that post XXX reviews and listings of top pornography sites in Australia.
Conclusion
Whether or not you consume pornography, it’s important to be aware of the issues surrounding it. Countries that promote it as a legitimate business ensure the safety of performers through regulation, and Australian porn stars are clamouring for Australian law to regulate and legitimise the industry. That means no underage performers, nothing happening without consent, no substance abuse on set, and medical support for actors and actresses.
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