During the 1920s, the American film industry faced accusations of promoting immorality. The industry sought to regulate itself through voluntary censorship and enforcement of the Hays code. However, the federal government eventually stepped in to regulate and censor all productions.
The film industry during the 1920s faced accusations of promoting immorality. Film producers voluntarily censored themselves and sporadically enforced the Hays code, which was a set of industry guidelines to regulate content. The film industry was not technically subject to regulation like other businesses since movies were seen as a form of artistic expression.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) campaigned for the federal government to regulate Hollywood movie plots with content they believed lowered Americans' moral standards. However, the film industry refused to censor itself, so the federal government stepped in to censor all productions.