Connection Software

 Connection Software

Adult Content
The Market for Adult Content

Mobile phone users around the world will spend $1 billion a year on pornography sent to their handsets by 2008 according to an article on textually.org. However suppliers need to take care to conform to local regulations: different policies apply in each country and even within a country operators enforce widely different rules.

"China's communist leaders, in a fresh move to eradicate pornography, have targeted the telephone-sex industry, ordering severe punishment for anyone offering the service, the official People's Daily said Wednesday."

... whereas in much of Europe and the Far East the industry thrives.

Technical challenges await those selling adult material into North America and strict rules about "Customer Service" on Premium Rate Services may surprise you.

Each country needs to be researched individually and thoroughly: Connection Software is well placed to advise you since we have a large amount of commercially valuable information on this sector. Because of the commercial value of much of this information it can be provided on a "need to know" basis under NDA.

Delivering content

Adult content may contain text, still or moving images and sounds. Each may be delivered one-way, two-way or to or in a group. Services can be subscription based or charged per minute. Services may be available immediately on request or regulators (e.g. Verizon in the USA) may insists on "double confirmation" before supply. We may be able to provide a local helpdesk service.

Usually the content will probably need to be "re-purposed" to suit the recipients delivery device.

The table below provides a useful overview of the conditions under which adult content can be delivered in several countries.
SMS content
Picture Messages
Operator Logos
Group Graphics

MMS content
Erotic audio
Wallpaper
Screen savers
Video clips
Java Games

Applications
Content repurposing

Glossary
  • MO = Mobile Originated, a message sent from a mobile phone.
  • MT = Mobile Terminated, a message sent to a mobile phone.
  • PSMS = Premium SMS, an SMS message sent to or from a mobile phone that is charged at a higher rate than a normal SMS message.
  • FOC = Free of Charge

Country Outline
Country Allow Adult content? Adult Chat? Conditions
Austria Yes with conditions Yes with conditions For premium services costing 1€ or more per message, the end user must be able to request the service via a standard price MO message.  You must first send a FOC MT that states price and asks end user to confirm with MO.  The premium service begins only with the 2nd MO (for MO services) and from the 2nd MT (for MT services).  Customer pays MTs and first MO at standard price.  Pornographic services are forbidden on Telering.   Helpdesk mandatory during at least business hours.
Belgium Yes on dedicated shortcodes only Yes on dedicated shortcodes only Customer must sign the Code of Conduct.  Adult services must run on dedicated shortcodes.  Helpdesk mandatory 24/7.
Czech Rep      
Denmark No No Adult services are strictly forbidden.
Finland yes yes No specific conditions but customers should read Operators general rules carefully.
France Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Customer must sign ALL paperwork including Ethic Charter, Code of Conduct etc.  Pay special attention to clauses regarding 'respect to the human form especially female' in the Ethic Charter.  Generally soft erotic services are OK, pornographic services are forbidden.  Each service should be accurately described and presented to operators BEFORE launch for validation.  Helpdesk mandatory.
Germany No Yes with conditions Peer to Peer adult chat is allowed on specific shortcode.  24/7 helpdesk mandatory. Pay close attention to the extensive service conditions on the operator appendix.
Greece      
Hungary No No Only allowed to run 3 categories of services: TV Voting; Information and Registration Game i.e. competition.
Ireland No No Adult services are strictly forbidden.
Italy No No Adult services are strictly forbidden.
Mexico No No Adult services are strictly forbidden.
Netherlands Yes Yes Customer must sign Code of Conduct.  Subscription services must be explicit opt-in.  Helpdesk mandatory.
Norway      
Poland Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Only 'soft' adult services are allowed.  Pornographic services are strictly forbidden.  Chat applications must have a human moderator.  Helpdesk mandatory.
Portugal Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Adult services must be explicitly advertised as "Content for people above 18".  Price limit of 1€ per MO transaction.  For chat, the customer shall pay for all associated MT's.  Helpdesk (business hours minimum) is mandatory.
Spain Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Services are strictly 1 MO to 1 MT.  Revenue will not be paid if MO-MT's do not balance.  Services must be in accordance with Code of Conduct.  24/7 helpdesk is mandatory.  Telefonica forbids customers to communicate on adult services that use rude, violent or pornographic language or that explicitly mentions sex in any way.
Sweden Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Customer must check and comply with Ethic Charter/Code of Conduct. Marketing for adult services shall not provide procurement for sexual services, contain any reference/involvement of under 18's. In daily press, TV, radio or direct marketing no indications of sexual acts or occurrences, sexual violence, sadism or cruelty, on printed support, display photo's or drawings/other illustrations, portray sexual or erotic material.  Specific to Telia: no messages may contain elements of violence or hints that are descriptions or paraphrases of sexual actions. Helpdesk mandatory. 
Switzerland Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Subscription services not allowed on Orange (soon to change).  Erotic services are OK but pornographic services are very strictly regulated.  The classification of content is done subjectively by each operator.  Pornographic services require extensive independent legal advice / sign off before an operator will let it run on their network.
UK Yes with conditions Yes with conditions Adult chat services require prior permission from ICSTIS and must run strictly according to the certificate. See Vodafone content classification for acceptable adult content. (In general, content which can be bought in a shop is ok but anything which is more explicit will require special consideration.
USA   No specific information on Adult content but see US PRS conditions.

 

This page was last modified at 13:52 UTC on Thursday August 11, 2005