“Size matters in pornography, except when it comes to tiny mobile phone screens, the next frontier for erotica,” Sinead Carew reports for Reuters.
“Unlike in Europe, mobile porn has yet to take off in North America as carriers have been afraid of offending political and religious groups and parents concerned about children being exposed to adult content,” Carew reports.
“That may change this year as phone companies plan to loosen control on their networks to allow a wider variety of gadgets and services, while introducing new tools to shield minors. More advanced phones with better Web browsers like Apple Inc’s iPhone also offer higher quality pictures and video,” Carew reports.
“‘It will be impossible to stop the adult business exploitation of mobile entertainment,’ said Gregory Piccionelli, a lawyer specializing in adult entertainment at law firm Piccionelli & Sarno. He predicted that U.S. consumers may soon be offered free porn on mobile phones alongside paid services like live video or ‘adult dates,’ a term for prearranged sex with strangers,” Carew reports.
“Pornography has made inroads on cell phones in Europe, where it was a $775 million industry in 2007 that will grow to $1.5 billion by 2012, with the global market reaching $3.5 billion in 2010, according to Britain-based Juniper Research,” Carew reports.
“In comparison, North America generated just $26 million last year as carriers shied away from porn sales. Canada’s second-largest phone company Telus Corp, for example, withdrew a mobile porn service last year after complaints from hundreds of customers and criticism from the Catholic Church,” Carew reports.
“Piccionelli said the iPhone — which Apple has forecast to sell 10 million units by the end of 2008 — is ideal for viewing porn due to its graphics and Web browser that mimics computer browsers. Most phones have stripped-down browsers,” Carew reports.
More in the full article here.