Porn is something that most people never admit to watching, yet statistics tell a different story, with over 90% of users opting out of the UK porn filter. Unfortunately for the adult film industry, most people never pay for the content: Pirating porn is so common, that the industry even started a #PayForYourPorn campaign earlier this year.
One of the biggest issues, according to the studios, is that it's difficult for users to find the legal sources to actually purchase their product. Google has recently worked with the music and mainstream film industry to highlight legal ways to purchase content, but the BBC reports that the same courtesy has not been extended to the adult industry. Searching on Google usually results in pirated versions of the films being placed much higher on the result list than the legitimate sources, whereas a recent deal with mainstream studios means a search for "Watch Serenity" brings up links to Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon.
Indeed, the adult industry points out that not only does Google make it hard to find legal sources to purchase their content, but they're also not even allowed to purchase advertising on the search giant.
The adult industry is run like any other professional industry; we pay taxes, create jobs and contribute to the economy. How many times a day is the word 'porn' typed into the Google search interface? Mainstream corporations like Google continue to discriminate against the adult industry despite the world being genuinely interested in seeking out pornography.
The industry is facing the same issues that music and film studios faced (and in many cases, still face) years ago. The difference is highlighted by the fact that the topic is taboo: Companies like Google won't want to promote it anytime soon, and politicians won't stick their necks out because, even though the Internet is for porn, the public prefers to pretend that only perverts seek it out.
Source: BBC | Image courtesy of Shuterstock
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