Supreme Court Backs Texas Online Porn Age Law/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age checks to prevent minors from accessing online pornography. Adult industry groups argued the law risks privacy and burdens free speech. Texas insists modern tech makes quick ID verification feasible and similar to in-store age checks.
SCOTUS Porn Law Ruling + Quick Looks
- Texas law upheld: Age checks for porn sites constitutional.
- Free Speech Coalition opposed: Cites privacy and speech concerns.
- Court precedent shifted: Tech advances enable stricter protections.
- Pornhub exit: Major sites leaving states with new laws.
- Nearly half of states affected: Similar laws nationwide.
Supreme Court Backs Texas Online Porn Age Law
Deep Look
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TEXAS LAW RESTRICTING ONLINE PORN ACCESS FOR MINORS
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Texas law designed to block minors from accessing online pornography, in a ruling that could have sweeping consequences for internet privacy, free speech, and the adult entertainment industry.
In a ruling that signals support for age verification laws, the justices sided with Texas, allowing the state to enforce rules requiring pornographic websites to verify users’ ages before granting access.
THE GROWING PUSH FOR AGE RESTRICTIONS
Texas is one of nearly two dozen states that have enacted laws to keep minors from viewing online porn, amid widespread concern that smartphones and digital devices make explicit material easily accessible to children and teens.
THE CHALLENGE FROM THE ADULT INDUSTRY
The Texas law was challenged by the Free Speech Coalition, an adult-entertainment industry trade group, which argued the measure places an unconstitutional burden on adult viewers.
The coalition said that requiring users to submit personal information—such as a photo for age verification—threatens privacy and creates risks of hacking or government tracking. While agreeing that minors shouldn’t be viewing porn, the group insisted the law infringes on adults’ rights to freely access legal sexual content.
These concerns have led major adult-content platforms like Pornhub to pull out of several states entirely, citing the technical challenges and privacy implications of complying with the new requirements.
COURT PRECEDENT AND MODERN TECH
The Supreme Court has weighed in on similar issues before. In 1996, the court struck down parts of a federal law banning online material “harmful to minors,” finding it overly broad. Again in 2004, the court ruled against another federal anti-porn measure but acknowledged that less restrictive solutions—like content filters—were permissible.
However, Texas argued that the landscape has changed dramatically in the past two decades. The state contended that modern technology now makes rapid age verification feasible, such as through facial scans or digital ID checks.
“It’s similar to showing ID at an adult bookstore,” Texas officials argued, referencing Supreme Court decisions from the 1960s that upheld in-person age restrictions for adult materials.
THE BROADER IMPACT
The Supreme Court’s ruling is likely to embolden other states with similar laws already on the books or under consideration. But it also raises fresh questions about digital privacy, data security, and how far states can go in regulating online content for adults in the name of child protection.
The debate is far from over—and the adult entertainment industry has vowed to keep fighting what it sees as a dangerous path toward digital surveillance and censorship.
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