LOS ANGELES—The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) issued a statement Wednesday clarifying that California’s newly enacted age verification law does not apply to adult entertainment websites.
California is home to a large portion of the adult entertainment industry, including studios, performers, and site operators.
In a post on its official blog, the FSC explained:
“California’s recently passed age-verification bill, AB 1043, does not apply to adult websites. The bill requires device manufacturers and app stores to collect a user’s birthdate or age and provide an API for apps (but not websites) to determine whether a user is under 18 years old. Apps must use the age information to ‘manage the delivery of age-appropriate content.’”
The FSC further noted that although the bill originally included language extending the age signal API to adult websites, that provision was removed in a last-minute amendment. The organization added that it has long supported a device-based solution to help adult sites restrict access to minors using similar technology.
The new law is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.