The Western world’s attitudes toward sexuality have softened since the middle of the 20th century, and the definitions of obscenity in law have been constrained.

In addition to mainstream media coverage, private groups, governmental organisations, and political organisations all pay close attention to the business. There have been reports of cybersex trafficking and concerns with popular pornographic websites containing content uploaded by dishonest uploaders in the 2020s.

The first movie to feature unsimulated sex and have a significant theatrical release in the United States was Andy Warhol’s Blue Movie in 1969. Then came the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984), a time when numerous top-notch pornographic movies were released in theatres and ingrained in popular culture. The pornographic industry expanded globally after home video and the Internet were introduced in the late 20th century, producing billions of dollars annually.

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Over US$2.5 billion was spent on commercialised pornography in the United States in 2001, which included the cost of creating various media as well as ancillary goods and services. The estimated global revenue from pornography in 2006 was $97 billion, with estimates for the United States ranging between $10 and $12 billion. Japan’s market for pornography was projected to be worth over $20 billion in 2018.

Along with production and support personnel, the business in the United States employs thousands of performers. The Free Speech Coalition, AVN, and the AVN Awards are its own trade publications, trade associations, and award ceremonies, respectively.