Thus, the harm appeared to outweigh the masturbatory pleasure that vicarious sex may yield, and I favored punishing purveyors. I have changed my mind. I no longer believe the actual harm is great enough to bother. Throughout history it is the loss of political freedom which leads to a loss of artistic and literary freedom, never the other way around. Providing it is truly private, I now do not think any consensual sexual activity, including discreet prostitution and pornography, should be regulated by the government.
History demonstrates that, when tolerated, porn and prostitution tend to be contained.
Neither seems likely to seriously damage the social fabric. To be sure, pornography fans may think of others as interchangeable and available for impersonal sex, or savor its depiction. But they remain rather few. Non-fans occasionally join out of curiosity but seldom stay. For most people porn is no more damaging or habit forming than coffee.