As More States' Age-Verification Laws Take Effect, Adult Industry Consults With Legal
The Free Speech Coalition said it’s weighing legal options as age-verification laws took effect Tuesday in multiple states.
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday against the trade association for the adult entertainment industry in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton (case 23-50627), in which the coalition challenged a Texas law requiring age verification for access to porn sites (see 2506270041).
After the SCOTUS ruling, “website operators should be vigilant about the potential risk for litigation in these and other states that have enacted age-verification mandates,” said Alison Boden, the coalition’s executive director, in a blog post Monday. “We are working with our legal team to understand the current legal landscape and determine what recourse may exist.”
Age-verification laws that went into effect Tuesday included a Wyoming bill that passed the legislature and received the governor’s signature in March (see 2503060022). The state law, which aims to keep kids younger than 18 away from porn and other material deemed harmful, provides a private right of action for a minor’s parents or guardians in case of a violation.
Also taking effect Tuesday was a South Dakota anti-porn law enacted in February (see 2502270067). Enforced by the attorney general, it requires websites to verify users’ ages to keep minors off adult websites.
The Free Speech Coalition also cited a Georgia law that was set to take effect Tuesday but for now is blocked by a court after a lawsuit from NetChoice. Signed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in April, it's meant to stop kids younger than 16 from obtaining social media accounts (see 2404230055). While a district court granted a preliminary injunction, the state has signaled that it will continue to fight (see 2506260054).