InAustria, legislation on pornography has its roots in legal efforts dating back in 1715 to suppress obscene writings and objects, in 1950 thePornography Act (Austria) was passed regulating pornography in Austria. In 1994, a prohibition on child pornography was added to the law. The § 2 of the Pornography Act, punishes, the endangering the moral or health development of young persons by arousing lust or misleading their sexual instincts of under 16 year olds in return for payment, at a federal level withcourt proceedings. And on a state level between 16 and 18 year olds with an administrative offense.[1]
Austrian legislation on pornography has its roots in legal efforts dating back to 1715 to suppress obscene writings and objects, which became increasingly widespread with the advent of printing. The reason for enacting the pornography law was that the catastrophe ofWorld War II had not only crippled the economy, but also led to a shake-up of traditional views on customs and morals. The law was intended to set boundaries of decency and propriety in the interest of orderly coexistence. It serves to restrict the satisfaction of sexual desire, as purely erotic works have an intoxicating effect similar to that ofdrugs, arousing the subconscious urges of young people. It was considered a great injustice that had to be combated to use the superiority of the instinct for self-preservation and procreation for financial gain. Since its adoption in 1950, the content of the law has not been amended, but it has been increasingly liberalized by the courts. Due to its age, it has been criticized on several occasions as outdated and in need of reform.[2]
Child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.[3] In 2013, there have been an increasing number of reports of people accessing child pornography through the internet, according to Stopline—an internet authority set up by Internet Service Providers Austria (ISPA) to reduce illegal activity online. According to the Austrian Press Agency, there were over 6,000 reports of illegal cases, more than double than that of 2012 report. At a press conference inVienna, director Barbara Schlossbauer said that 98% of cases were related to child pornography, but only a third actually occurred in Austria. Within three days, 80% of the content was removed from the internet within three days by the Internet Service Providers Austria (ISPA).[4]
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