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Legal Status of Child Pornography by Country

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This map shows legal status of child pornography. Child pornography refers to images or films (also known as child abuse images) and in some cases writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child; as such, child pornography is a record of child sexual abuse. Abuse of the child occurs during the sexual acts which are recorded in the production of child pornography, and the effects of the abuse on the child (and continuing into maturity) are compounded by the wide distribution and lasting availability of photographs of the abuse.

The laws of each countries were assessed based on five criteria:

1. Are there existing laws criminalizing child pornography? (see Note 1)
2. Does existing law include a legal definition of child pornography?
3. Is the possession of child pornography a crime? (see Note 2)
4. Is the distribution of child pornography via computer and the Internet a crime? (see Note 3)
5. Are Internet Service Providers (ISPs) required to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement? (see Note 4)

Number of countries meet all of the criteria: 5
Number of countries meet all but the last criteria, pertaining to ISP reporting: 24
Number of countries do have some legislation specifically addressing child pornography: 68
Number of countries have no legislation at all that specifically addresses child pornography: 92

Note

1. Countries in which there is a general ban on pornography, regardless of whether the individuals being depicted are adults or children, are not considered to have "legislation specific to child pornography," unless there is a sentencing enhancement provided for offenses committed against a child victim.

2. Simple possession, refers to possession regardless of the intent to distribute.

3. Law mention of a computer, computer system, Internet, or similar language (even if such mention is of a "computer image" or something similar in the definition of "child pornography"). In cases where other language is used in national legislation, an explanatory footnote is provided.

4. While some countries may have general reporting laws (i.e., anyone with knowledge of any crime must report the crime to the appropriate authorities), only those countries that specifically require ISPs to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement (or another mandated agency) are included as having ISP reporting laws. Note that there are also provisions in some national laws (mostly within the European Union) that limit ISP liability as long as an ISP removes illegal content once it learns of its presence; however, such legislation is not included in this section.

Last updated: 14 years ago

Category: Country Info

Country name	Legislation specific to child pornography	Child pornography defined in law	Computer‐facilitated offenses	Simple possession	ISP reporting	Note

Afghanistan	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Albania	No	No	No	No	No
Algeria	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Andorra	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	carries a prison sentence of up to four years
Angola	No	No	No	No	No
Antigua and Barbuda	No	No	No	No	No
Argentina	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Armenia	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Aruba	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Austria	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Azerbaijan	No	No	No	No	No
Bahamas, The	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	The offence of Pornography is defined in the penal code of the Bahamas as obscene publication"
Bahrain	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Bangladesh	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Barbados	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Belarus	Yes	No	No	No	No
Belgium	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Belize	No	No	No	No	No
Benin	No	No	No	No	No
Bhutan	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	does not have any specific legislation related to Child Pornography, but there are provisions for such crimes under several of the Penal Code of Bhutan 2004
Bolivia	No	No	No	No	No
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Botswana	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Brazil	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Punishment: 1 to 4 years of reclusion
Brunei	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Bulgaria	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Burkina Faso	No	No	No	No	No
Burundi	No	No	No	No	No
Cambodia	No	No	No	No	No
Cameroon	No	No	No	No	No
Canada	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	While there is no mandatory reporting requirement specific to ISPs, ISPs in Canada collaborate with law enforcement and work closely to facilitate the reporting of offending material. Canadian criminal law employs a very broad definition of "child pornography," which gives its comprehensive set of offenses additional scope.
Cape Verde	Yes	No	No	No	No
Central African Republic	No	No	No	No	No
Chad	No	No	No	No	No
Chile	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
China	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	While China does not have any specific child pornography legislation, there is a general prohibition on obscene and pornographic materials in the Criminal Code.
Colombia	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Comoros	No	No	No	No	No
Congo, Republic of the	No	No	No	No	No
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	No	No	No	No	No
Costa Rica	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Côte d'Ivoire	No	No	No	No	No
Croatia	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Cuba	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Cyprus	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Czech Republic	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Denmark	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Djibouti	No	No	No	No	No
Dominica	No	No	No	No	No
Dominican Republic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Ecuador	Yes	No	No	No	No
Egypt	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
El Salvador	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Equatorial Guinea	No	No	No	No	No
Eritrea	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Estonia	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Ethiopia	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Fiji	No	No	No	No	No
Finland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
France	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gabon	No	No	No	No	No
Gambia, The	Yes	No	No	No	No
Georgia	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Germany	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	While there is no explicit obligation for an ISP to report to law enforcement or another mandated agency, in most cases ISPs will file reports with law enforcement. It is a punishable offense for an ISP that knows of child pornographic material on its websites to not delete the illegal content. Factors considered include whether it was possible and reasonable for the ISP to detect the data and to delete or block it, as there are many ISPs in Germany that offer large storage capacities for commercial purposes.
Ghana	No	No	No	No	No
Greece	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Greek Penal Code criminalizes various child?pornography offenses, including possession, purchase, transfer, and sale of child pornography "in any way".
Grenada	No	No	No	No	No
Guatemala	Yes	No	No	No	No
Guinea	No	No	No	No	No
Guinea-Bissau	No	No	No	No	No
Guyana	No	No	No	No	No
Haiti	No	No	No	No	No
Holy See (Vatican City)	No	No	No	No	No	In the absence of specific child?pornography legislation, such cases may be delegated to the Italian judiciary system at the request of the Holy See.
Honduras	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hong Kong	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hungary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Iceland	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
India	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	browsing for child pornography on the internet can lead to a 10 year term in jail and Rs. 1 million fine
Indonesia	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Iran	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Iraq	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Ireland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Israel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Italy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Jamaica	No	No	No	No	No
Japan	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Jordan	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Kazakhstan	Yes	No	No	No	No
Kenya	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Korea, North	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Korea, South	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Kuwait	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Kyrgyzstan	Yes	No	No	No	No
Laos	No	No	No	No	No
Latvia	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Lebanon	No	No	No	No	No
Lesotho	No	No	No	No	No
Liberia	No	No	No	No	No
Libya	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Liechtenstein	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Lithuania	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Luxembourg	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Macedonia [FYROM]	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Madagascar	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Malawi	No	No	No	No	No
Malaysia	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Maldives	No	No	No	No	No
Mali	Yes	No	No	No	No
Malta	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Marshall Islands	No	No	No	No	No
Mauritania	No	No	No	No	No
Mauritius	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Mexico	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Moldova	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Monaco	No	No	No	No	No
Mongolia	No	No	No	No	No
Montenegro	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Morocco	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Mozambique	No	No	No	No	No
Burma	Yes	No	No	No	No
Namibia	No	No	No	No	No
Nauru	No	No	No	No	No
Nepal	Yes	No	No	No	No
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Netherlands Antilles	No	No	No-	No	No
New Zealand	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Nicaragua	No	No	No	No	No
Niger	No	No	No	No	No
Nigeria	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Norway	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Oman	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Pakistan	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Panama	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Papua New Guinea	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Paraguay	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Peru	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Philippines	Yes	No	No	No	No
Poland	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Portugal	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Qatar	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Romania	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Russia	Yes	No	No	No	No
Rwanda	No	No	No	No	No
Saint Kitts and Nevis	No	No	No	No	No
Saint Lucia	No	No	No	No	No
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	No	No	No	No	No
San Marino	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Sao Tome and Principe	No	No	No	No	No
Saudi Arabia	No	No	No	No	No	Taking or possessing pornographic images, whether for children or adults, is considered an offence under the Sharia law. The sentence imposed is left to the discretion of the judge.
Senegal	No	No	No	No	No
Serbia	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Seychelles	No	No	No	No	No
Sierra Leone	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Singapore	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Slovenia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Somalia	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
South Africa	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spain	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Sri Lanka	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Sudan	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Suriname	No	No	No	No	No
Swaziland	No	No	No	No	No
Sweden	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Switzerland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Syria	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Tajikistan	Yes	No	No	No	No
Tanzania	Yes	No	No	No	No
Thailand	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Timor-Leste	No	No	No	No	No
Togo	No	No	No	No	No
Tonga	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Trinidad and Tobago	No	No	No	No	No
Tunisia	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Tunisian Penal Code criminalizes, inter alia, the use of "any visual recordings or photographs" depicting pornographic images of children.
Turkey	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Turkmenistan	No	No	No	No	No
Uganda	No	No	No	No	No
Ukraine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
United Arab Emirates	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
United Kingdom	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	The United Kingdom operates a voluntary "notice and takedown” procedure overseen by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF),an independent industry funded body, endorsed by the police and government. U.K. ISPs "take down” images of child pornography when notified of them by IWF. Failure to do so could make them liable to prosecution.
United States	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Uruguay	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Uzbekistan	No	No	No	No	No
Venezuela	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Vietnam	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Yemen	No	No	No	No	No	there is a general ban on pornography
Zambia	No	No	No	No	No
Zimbabwe	No	No	No	No	No
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Legal Status of Child Pornography by Country

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