The dial-a-porn industry has been severely crippled by a recent decision by the American Telephone & Telegraph Company to consign dial-a-porn companies obscure phone numbers, and to eliminate profit by changing the rate structure.

AT&T’s move came after March 15 when it received federal approval to stop giving dial-a-porn services a share of the proceeds from the calls. Prior to the new rate structure, AT&T paid each company two to five cents for every call beyond 2,000 daily, which could earn as much as $5,000 every day.

However, the per-call payment has been eliminated for a special class of customers – those who AT&T officials say do not match its corporate advertising philosophy. Dial-a-porn companies now have two options: either continue to provide the service without compensation or surrender their national lines to AT&T.

Additionally, the companies may face a penalty of $500 per day if they do not receive at least 2,000 calls. Those with multiple lines will have to pay multiple penalties.

Although AT&T officials claim that the decision was based purely on marketing strategy, and not on moral grounds, anti-pornography organizations across the U.S. view it as a significant victory. Telephone porn has become a particularly negative influence on children in the U.S. in recent years, and porn call numbers are reportedly widely circulated among children in elementary and high schools.