pornography
Pornography, or “porn” for short, is material that depicts nudity or sexual acts for the purpose of sexual stimulation. However, the presence of nudity or sexual acts in piece of media does not necessarily make that media pornographic if the purpose of that media content is something other than sexual stimulation. Pornography can take the form of photographs, videos, written material, audio recordings, or animation, among other media formats.
The legality of pornography varies from country to country. In the United States, generally people can purchase or access pornographic materials legally if they are over the age of 18. It is illegal to knowingly distribute pornography to minors under 18 U.S.C. §1470. Further, under 18 U.S. Code §1466A, it is illegal to knowingly produce, distribute, receive, or possess pornography with the intent to distribute if said pornography depicts minors in a sexual act. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including non-consensual pornography (NCP), non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCII) and likeness is federally unlawful in the United States under the Take it Down Act, which became law in 2025. All 50 States, Washington D.C., and in some territories, also have laws against the non-consensual sharing of pornography. As of 2026, most states also have some laws on sexually explicit digital forgery, also known as “deepfake pornography” where sexual media of someone is manufactured/distributed without that person’s consent. Although some only protect minors.
A Guide To U.S. Federal Law On Obscenity can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice Website as well.
[Last reviewed in July of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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