The internet porn 'epidemic': By the numbers

Some child-safety advocates say the spread of online pornography has become "epidemic." Here, a statistical look at the all-too-big business of smut

Online pornography generates $4.2 billion annually
(Image credit: Corbis)

Speaking in Washington this week, advocates for internet safety called on Congress and the Department of Justice to enforce obscenity laws more vigorously and drew parallels between the spread of web porn and the BP oil spill. Donna Rice Hughes, president of Enough Is Enough, a Virginia-based non-profit that aims to make the web more family-friendly, says internet pornography has reached "epidemic" proportions: "We are facing a national crisis that is every bit as damaging to our citizens and our culture as the oil spill is to... the Gulf community." (Watch Hughes' testimony on the internet porn epidemic.) Following, a statistical look at the online porn explosion:

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