Indecency and Obscenity

Indecency and obscenity deal with words or images concerning sexuality that are considered so offensive, inappropriate, or harmful, that they should be legally banned or restricted. Obscenity is the legal term for content that is judged so offensive because of sexual or excretory content that it must be banned and criminalized. The exclusion of obscenity from protections under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is one of the de facto cornerstones of American freedom of expression policy. Many of the major censorship battles of the 19th and 20th centuries were fought under the banner of obscenity. Indecency is a newer legal concept, covering material not meeting the obscenity threshold, yet viewed as inappropriate or harmful for minors. Pornography is a broader term, referring to ...