SWEDISH LEGISLATION


There are currently several laws and regulations to protect children from exposure to pornography. Only one of the laws is enforced, pornography is not shown on TV at times when children usually watch. It is clear that these laws were written before online pornography became free and children could access pornography through phones, tablets and computers. We are working to ensure that these laws are enforced and updated.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) became law in Sweden on 1 January 2020. Children's rights under the CRC require adults to provide children with the protection from violence to which they are entitled. 



"States Parties shall encourage the development of appropriate policies to protect the child from information and material harmful to the child's well-being, taking into account the provisions of articles 13 and 18." (Article 17e, unicef.se/convention on the Rights of the Child) Digital child protection is an important measure to prevent children's welfare from being harmed by information and material harmful to children, such as online pornography.

The EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in 2024, contains several provisions aimed at protecting minors from inappropriate and harmful content, including pornography.

Pornography must not be displayed in public places such as notice boards. Anyone who does so can be fined or imprisoned. (On offences against public order, Chapter 16 paragraph 11) Digital images and films with pornography on screens generate the same negative effects on children as printed pornographic images. 

Pornography may not be shown on TV at times when children usually watch. (Radio and Television Act (2010:696), Chapter 5, paragraph 2) Online pornography is always available to children on the internet, around the clock, i.e. also at times when children usually watch. 

Pornography must not contain images of children. Anyone who makes, watches, spreads, sells, gives away or makes it possible for someone to obtain child pornography images is doing something illegal. According to the law, a child is anyone under the age of 18 (Criminal Code, chapter 6 sexual offenses, paragraph 10). Many porn sites do not verify the age of those who participate in the porn films. Several children have been identified in films on Pornhub, one of the world's most popular porn sites. This means that documented sexual abuse of children, known as "child porn", is also present in "adult porn" on mainstream porn sites. 

It is forbidden to distribute pornography depicting sexual violence or coercion where, for example, someone is at risk of being harmed. (Offences against public order, Chapter 16, paragraph 10 c).

It is common for mainstream pornography to contain physical aggression such as choking, ass-to-mouth and gagging. When journalist and author Katarina Wennstam researched the mainstream online porn on the major porn sites, she found a lot of gross violence, writing "I have not always been sure that she will survive until the movie is over."(expressen.se/kultur/qs/sa-radicalized-man-by-porn)