The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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The landscape surrounding age verification laws for adult websites continues to shift at a rapid pace. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, additional states have enacted age verification requirements, lawmakers in Washington have introduced several federal proposals, and governments around the world have continued pursuing similar legislation. At the same time, courts have begun weighing legal challenges that could shape how those laws are enforced. Here’s a look at the latest developments affecting the adult industry.
Roughly half of U.S. states now have laws requiring adult websites to verify the ages of their users. If Congress ultimately passes a nationwide age verification law, it would override those state-level requirements. At present, three separate proposals are pending that would establish a federal standard.
One of those measures is the Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act. Originally introduced in February 2025, the bill was amended during committee review but has seen no legislative movement since December.
A revised version of the SCREEN Act has since been folded into the broader Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, an omnibus package combining multiple online safety proposals. The legislation could soon receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, though its path remains uncertain because of Senate opposition to provisions involving social media platforms. The bill has also drawn criticism from a group of 44 state attorneys general and, more recently, from a coalition of online safety organizations.
A third proposal, the SAFE for Kids Act, was introduced earlier this month. Like the other measures, it would require adult websites to implement age verification nationwide. The bill is currently awaiting its first committee hearing and could become an alternative federal option if the KIDS Act fails to advance.
Around the World
Canada’s Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act continues moving through Parliament. The bill, which would require commercial adult websites to verify that Canadian users are at least 18 years old, received its first reading in the House of Commons after previously passing the Senate. It now awaits its second reading.
In Brazil, the public consultation period regarding implementation of the country’s Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents (Digital ECA) concluded on June 15. The law requires adult websites to verify the ages of users located in Brazil. The country’s National Data Protection Authority has also launched an online complaints portal allowing citizens to report suspected Digital ECA violations, including failures to implement age verification.
The United Kingdom’s communications regulator, Ofcom, has continued expanding its enforcement efforts under the Online Safety Act. In May, the regulator opened new investigations into two adult websites as part of its age assurance program and issued more than $800,000 in fines against Youngtek Solutions for failing to implement age checks and respond to regulatory information requests. This month, Ofcom fined First Time Videos, operator of FTVGirls.com and FTVMilfs.com, more than $100,000 for failing to implement age checks. The regulator also issued a provisional finding that the operator of xgroovy.com may have failed to comply with the law’s age assurance requirements, giving the company 20 working days to respond.
Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs continues pushing legislation that would establish nationwide age verification requirements as the country works toward fuller implementation of the European Union’s Digital Services Act. Before becoming law, however, the proposal must receive approval from President Karol Nawrocki, who earlier this year vetoed separate legislation implementing key portions of the DSA.
Meanwhile, WebGroup Czech Republic (WGCZ), the parent company of XVideos, XNXX, BangBros and GirlsGoneWild, reached a settlement last month with the State of Florida over allegations that those websites failed to verify the ages of Florida users before allowing access to adult content. Under the agreement, WGCZ will implement age verification across its sites and pay $1.2 million.
In Ghana, where producing, selling and distributing pornography is already illegal, Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation Samuel George has advocated introducing age verification requirements to prevent minors from accessing adult content online. Speaking at the Fourth African Regional Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty, George proposed requiring users to present a driver’s license or national identification card before accessing adult websites “so that we know who you are and who is going to that site.” During his remarks, George incorrectly stated that users in the United Kingdom must present a driver’s license before accessing pornography. The U.K.‘s Online Safety Act instead permits multiple forms of age assurance, provided they meet Ofcom’s standards for “highly effective age assurance.”
Iowa Joins the AV Club, Missouri Next?
Earlier this month, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed HF 864 into law. The legislation requires websites and applications where at least one-third of publicly available content is adult material to implement what the law describes as “reasonable” age verification measures to prevent minors from gaining access.
When lawmakers first introduced the bill, it referred to “obscene material” as the content requiring age verification, reflecting ongoing legislative confusion over the legal distinction between obscenity and constitutionally protected pornography. The final version replaced that language with the phrase “pornographic for minors.”
Now that the measure has become law, Iowa’s attorney general will enforce it through civil lawsuits. Violations can carry penalties of up to $1,000 each, with a maximum of $10,000 in fines per day.
Missouri may soon become the next state to formally adopt similar legislation. House Bill 1839 currently awaits action from Governor Mike Kehoe. Last year, Missouri’s former attorney general imposed age verification regulations through executive action rather than legislation, prompting lawmakers to introduce bills designed to codify those requirements. If Kehoe signs HB 1839—or allows it to become law automatically after the statutory deadline—the attorney general would enforce the measure through civil lawsuits. Penalties could reach $10,000 per day, plus up to $250,000 if minors access adult material in violation of the law’s requirements.
The VPN Wars Rage On
The growing use of virtual private networks to bypass age verification requirements continues to drive both legislative proposals and courtroom disputes across the United States.
Utah’s new law, which took effect last month, holds adult websites responsible if minors in the state use VPNs or other methods to circumvent geolocation systems. After Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, challenged the law in federal court, a judge approved a temporary agreement preventing Utah from enforcing that particular provision against Aylo while the constitutional challenge proceeds. In a recent filing, Utah argued that adult websites have the technical ability to detect VPN use and determine users’ locations despite the company’s objections.
Aylo is also defending a separate lawsuit filed by the State of Indiana. Indiana alleges the company violated its age verification law by allowing users employing VPNs to bypass geolocation restrictions, even though Indiana’s statute does not specifically require websites to prevent intentional circumvention.
The outcome of both cases could help determine whether adult websites can be held legally responsible when users intentionally evade geolocation measures. Those decisions may also influence future legislation, including Ohio’s proposed Innocence Act, which would require websites to use licensed geofencing technology that continuously verifies a user’s physical location before determining whether age verification applies.
The proposed federal KIDS Act similarly includes language requiring websites to take “reasonable measures” to address efforts to circumvent age verification.
Failure to Launch: When AV Bills Run Out of Time
Not every age verification proposal survived this year’s legislative sessions. Several bills expired without receiving final approval, effectively ending their progress for now.
Measures seeking to create or expand age verification laws in Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Tennessee and West Virginia have all expired, though lawmakers could introduce similar legislation during future sessions.
Elsewhere, proposed age verification bills in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania appear to have stalled or have been postponed until their legislatures reconvene.
New Hampshire lawmakers rejected an age verification bill after it passed the state Senate, while New York senators defeated a similar proposal in the Senate Internet and Technology Committee.
