Pornography in Germany

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Pornography has been legal in Germany since 1975.https://lexetius.com/StGB/184,10 Exceptions to this include pornographic content depicting violent acts or sexual acts with animals, the distribution of which is prohibited,https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1808 as well as child pornographic content, the distribution and possession of which is prohibited when depicting real children, but legal when it is immediately apparent that the content is purely of fictional nature in cases of mere possession.https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1813https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1834 German law distinguishes between child and youth pornographic content, whereby the latter, which concerns persons over the age of 14, is punished less severely, with the mere possession of youth pornographic content being legal when it is produced exclusively for personal use with the consent of the persons depicted.German Criminal Code, Section 184c (4)

Selling or distributing pornography to minors is a criminal offense.https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1793 Shops and websites that offer pornography must carry out age verification.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-04 |title=Legal requirements |url=https://www.klicksafe.de/en/pornografie/gesetzliche-bestimmungen |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=klicksafe.de |language=en}} For example, Aylo's age-verification software AgeID is used to verify the ages of users of pornographic Internet websites and has been in use in Germany since 2015.{{cite news|title=Porn check critics fear data breach|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43292457|date=6 March 2018|author=Zoe Kleinman|work=BBC News|access-date=7 March 2018}}

The German Edathy affair of 2013/14 following the neglected cooperation of Federal Criminal Police within the Canadian child pornography uncoverings gave way for new legislation procedures in parliament to define the status of either posing or exhibitive pictures of minors. New laws were still in parliamentary debating as lately as 19 December 2014.

Modern German pornography is generally similar to the American "glamour" pornography though often tailored primarily for the German market. In contrast, several German labels focus on a more "home-made" amateur flair, often focusing on intense hardcore themes such as gang bangs, bukkake, scat and urine fetishism; most notably 'German Goo Girls' and other series by John Thompson Productions.