Political Attacks

LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 1043 on Monday, implementing an age verification regime that requires users’ ages to be verified at the device operating system and/or app store level when setting up a new phone, tablet, or computer.

The bill, known as the Digital Age Assurance Act, covers all major operating systems, including Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, it requires the companies that own and operate these systems to develop a mechanism allowing users to enter and confirm their ages by the summer of that year.

This also means that age verification must occur when users download or purchase apps and content from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Under the legislation, violations could cost companies up to $2,500 per affected child, with intentional violations climbing to $7,500 per child. The law also “shields” companies from liability for so-called “erroneous age signals” as long as they make a good-faith effort to comply.

Erroneous signals may arise from the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and other proxy tools designed to bypass age restrictions online.

In addition, the law introduces new safety requirements for digital platforms and services, including measures to prevent suicide and self-harm, clear warnings about social media and AI-powered chatbots, and tougher penalties for profiting from unlawful deepfakes.

“Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect—but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement issued by his office. He continued, “We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability.

“We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly—protecting our children every step of the way. Our children’s safety is not for sale.”

Beyond device-level age verification, the legislation mandates warning labels on social media platforms to alert young users to the potential risks of excessive use.

It also strengthens penalties for deepfake pornography, allowing victims of non-consensual deepfakes to pursue civil damages of up to $250,000 against individuals who knowingly distribute such material.

“These bills establish guardrails that protect our children’s health and safety while ensuring innovation moves forward responsibly, showing that we can have both at once, always with future generations in mind,” said Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the First Partner of California.

Industry stakeholders have long touted device-level age verification as a potential compromise to existing age-gating systems, which typically occur at the website or platform level. Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub.com, has previously endorsed device-level verification as a privacy-preserving alternative to ID uploads and facial scans.

DECATUR, Ga. — Tokyo Valentino, an adult retailer with multiple locations across Georgia, was denied a building permit for a new store under construction on Lawrenceville Highway in the Greater Decatur area, according to local reports.

Juliana Njoku, DeKalb County’s planning and sustainability director, informed company representatives that they failed to clearly disclose the property’s intended use.

DeKalb County later issued a public statement explaining, “Following a thorough administrative review, the County has determined that the building permit and related business license applications associated with this property contain incomplete and inconsistent information regarding the intended business use.

“As a result, the building permit has been revoked, and the business license application remains incomplete pending further documentation from the applicant. … Specifically, the applications did not fully disclose the intended use of the premises at the time of submission, and subsequent filings identified the sale of adult-oriented materials. This change in use requires a different level of zoning review and compliance with County ordinances that regulate adult-oriented establishments.”

In an email to Njoku, company representative Michael S. Morrison said Tokyo Valentino believes the revocation was a misunderstanding.

“It is Tokyo Decatur’s intention to comply with local ordinances to be a compliant, good corporate citizen,” Morrison wrote on behalf of Tokyo Decatur, the firm responsible for the new location. “We are a proud and vocal participant in the LGBTQ+ community.”

According to the letter, Tokyo Valentino entered into a lease for the property at 1850 Lawrenceville Highway, Suite 200. The landlord, Air Hospitality Group, agreed to bring the space up to code before occupancy and hired MSM Builders LLC for the renovation. The building permit in question was issued between the landlord and property manager.

Officials likely denied the permit based on the assumption that the store would operate as a fully adult-oriented business, which is restricted under local zoning laws.

“‘Tokyo Valentino’ is only a retail store that will be selling less than the allowable 20 percent threshold of marital aids,” Morrison clarified. “We mostly serve the LGBTQ+ community. This location has no live entertainment, nor video booths, etc. Tokyo is no different than the ‘Spencer’s’ stores found in malls all over America.”

“Tokyo is happy to sign any document affirming its intention to comply with DeKalb County code,” Morrison added. “It is always Tokyo’s intention to be a good corporate citizen and a proud supporter of the queer community.”

NEW YORK — New York City has filed a sweeping lawsuit accusing Facebook, Google, Snapchat, TikTok, and other major online platforms of contributing to a youth mental health crisis by making their products addictive to children.

The 327-page complaint, filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, seeks damages from Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook and Instagram; Alphabet, owner of Google and YouTube; Snap Inc., which operates Snapchat; and ByteDance, parent company of TikTok. The city accuses the companies of gross negligence and creating a public nuisance.

The lawsuit aligns New York City with a growing wave of state and local governments, school districts, and individuals involved in roughly 2,050 similar cases consolidated in federal court in Oakland, California. With a population of 8.48 million residents, including 1.8 million minors, New York City is among the largest plaintiffs in the national litigation. The city’s school system and healthcare agencies are also listed as plaintiffs.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda pushed back on the claims, saying that allegations involving YouTube are “simply not true,” noting that “it is a streaming service and not a social network where people catch up with friends.”

The other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for New York City’s law department said the city withdrew from a separate lawsuit announced by Mayor Eric Adams in February 2024 in California state court so it could instead join the consolidated federal case.

Platforms Accused of Exploiting Youth Behavior

The complaint alleges that the defendants “designed their platforms to exploit the psychology and neurophysiology of youth” to encourage compulsive use and maximize profits.

It cites data showing that 77.3% of New York City high school students — and 82.1% of girls — report spending three or more hours daily on screens, including phones, computers, and televisions. The city claims such heavy use has led to lost sleep, chronic school absences, and worsening mental health.

In January 2024, the city’s health commissioner declared social media a public health hazard, noting that the city and its schools have been forced to spend increasing taxpayer funds to address the mounting youth mental health crisis.

Link to Dangerous Trends

The complaint also ties social media use to a surge in “subway surfing” — the dangerous trend of riding on top of or clinging to the sides of moving subway cars. Since 2023, at least 16 people have died while subway surfing, including two girls aged 12 and 13 this month, according to police data.

“Defendants should be held to account for the harms their conduct has inflicted,” the city said in the filing. “As it stands now, (the) plaintiffs are left to abate the nuisance and foot the bill.”

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has issued formal warnings to 19 pornography websites, alleging they are violating the state’s new age-verification law and could soon face legal action if they do not comply.

“This duly enacted law protects young, impressionable children from the harms of adult-only material found online,” Yost said in an Oct. 8 news release. “It’s time for these companies to explain why they think they’re above the law.”

The recently enacted Ohio law requires any organization that sells or presents materials or performances deemed “obscene or harmful to juveniles” to verify users’ ages using photo identification or other official records, such as mortgage or employment data. Companies that fail to meet these standards risk being sued by the state.

Pornhub, one of the sites named, argues that the legislation doesn’t apply to its operations due to an exemption for web hosting platforms. However, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, a review of 20 adult sites determined that all but one failed to comply with the new verification requirements.

Yost’s office sent violation notices to the noncompliant companies, warning them that they could face lawsuits if corrective measures are not taken within 45 days.

“Intentional noncompliance places minors at risk,” the letters stated. “We urge you to take immediate corrective action.”

Michael McGrady opines on faith based porn panics:

What happens when a small faction of politicians attempts to impose their faith-driven vision of “American values” at the expense of free speech, queer visibility, and secular governance? The growing wave of anti-pornography proposals—ranging from full bans on adult content to invasive age-verification laws—illustrates how far the far-right is willing to transform moral panic into legislation, regardless of constitutional limits or practical absurdity.

One striking example comes from Michigan state representative Josh Schriver, a Republican known for racist, homophobic, and inflammatory rhetoric. In September 2025, Schriver went viral after introducing a proposal to completely outlaw online pornography in Michigan’s digital sphere. Even many conservatives expressed skepticism, acknowledging the proposal’s blatant overreach into free speech protections.

Schriver’s bill, House Bill 4938—formally titled the “Anti-Corruption of Public Morals Act”—would impose sweeping criminal penalties and steep fines for distributing or possessing what it vaguely defines as “prohibited material.”

A History of Gendered Censorship and the Costs of Faith-Based ‘Porn’ Panics - TheHumanist.com

Bigotry rebranded as moral purity.

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thehumanist.com

Adult industry attorney Corey Silverstein talks about North Carolina’s HB 805 and how it impacts our business.

Breaking Down HB 805 and How it Affects the Adult Industry

North Carolina House Bill 805 was enacted July 29, after the state legislature overrode Governor Josh Stein’s veto. The provisions that relate to the adult industry, imposing requirements for age verification, consent and content removal, are scheduled to become effective Dec. 1. Platforms have until then to update their policies and systems to comply with the new regulations.

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www.xbiz.com

KYIV — Ukraine’s State Tax Service has announced that local content creators collectively owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in unpaid taxes, primarily tied to income earned through the subscription platform OnlyFans between 2020 and 2022.

According to a report from the Ukrainian outlet Economic Truth, the tax debt amounts to 384.7 million hryvnia and stems from revenue generated by Ukrainian residents from the London-based company Fenix International Ltd., which operates OnlyFans.

“The total amount of tax debt that arose for individual residents of Ukraine due to nonpayment of taxes on income received from Fenix International Ltd. (the company that owns the OnlyFans platform) during 2020–2022 is UAH 384.7 million,” the report states.

Economic Truth also noted that the OnlyFans platform “is used primarily for posting and monetizing pornographic content,” and emphasized that the production or distribution of pornography remains a criminal offense in Ukraine.

“According to Article 301 of the Criminal Code, liability for such activity can reach up to seven years in prison,” the publication added.

In July, Ukrainian officials faced renewed debate over the issue after President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to a petition from OnlyFans users urging support for draft law No. 12191, titled “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine to Improve Certain Provisions on Criminal Offenses Against Public Order and Morality.”

Zelensky did not publicly take a stance on decriminalization but noted that the proposal was currently under review by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.

He explained that his involvement “will only come into play should the Verkhovna Rada adopt the law.”

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday signed into law new rules governing the use of social media, online video games and other digital services by children and adolescents.

Known as the “Adultization Bill” — shorthand in Brazil for its goal of protecting minors from premature exposure to adult content — or “Digital ECA,” for updating a 1990 statute that guarantees fundamental rights for children and adolescents, the law will take effect in 180 days.

In his speech, Lula said the measure represents a step toward Brazil’s digital sovereignty and emphasized that foreign companies are welcome as long as they comply with national laws. He criticized Big Tech’s lack of self-regulation, defended stronger protections for children and announced a provisional decree elevating the National Data Protection Authority into an autonomous agency.

“Freedom of expression is a nonnegotiable value, but it cannot serve as an excuse for committing crimes in the digital world,” Lula said.

The law obliges digital platforms to adopt safeguards, limits the collection of data from minors and sets tough penalties for violations. Companies are required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent children and adolescents from being exposed to illegal or inappropriate content, including sexual exploitation, harassment, violence, self-harm, gambling, deceptive advertising and other predatory practices.

Parental controls must be provided and set by default to the highest protection level, including time limits, blocking geolocation, restricting unauthorized adult contacts and controlling content recommendations.

Age verification is now mandatory. Until now, most platforms relied on self-declaration, with users merely confirming they were over 18. The new law bans that practice and requires stronger mechanisms, still to be defined by regulators, to prevent minors from accessing harmful content.

In addition, accounts of users under 16 must be linked to responsible adults, who will receive reports and be able to restrict interactions.

Noncompliance may result in fines of up to 10% of a company’s Brazilian revenue, capped at $10 million per violation, according to Stephanie Almeida, a lawyer at São Paulo-based Poliszezuk Advogados specializing in civil and corporate law.

Luiza Teixeira, a child protection specialist at UNICEF Brazil, described the law as “very robust, with high technical quality.” She acknowledged that digital technologies provide opportunities for learning, expression and connection but warned of serious risks as well.

According to João Victor Archegas, a lawyer and researcher at the Institute for Technology and Society in Rio de Janeiro, the new legislation is more specific than earlier frameworks such as the Statute of Children and Adolescents, the Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights and the General Data Protection Law.

“These are important legal frameworks in the country, because they address protection of fundamental rights online and of minors,” he said. “But there was still a lack of specific normative language on the use of social media and digital platforms by this audience.”

The bill was introduced in 2022 but gained momentum in August 2025 after influencer Felipe Bressanim Pereira, known as Felca, published a viral video exposing cases of child exploitation online. Public debate intensified following the arrest of influencer Hytalo Santos on Aug. 15, accused of producing and sharing sexual content involving minors.

Data from SaferNet Brasil, which monitors human rights violations online, highlights the scale of the problem. Between Jan. 1 and July 31, 2025, it recorded 76,997 reports, with 49,336 (64%) related to child sexual abuse and exploitation. After Felca’s video went viral, reports of child pornography more than doubled.

Teixeira warned that generative artificial intelligence has amplified risks by enabling the manipulation of harmless images of children into sexualized material that circulates openly on pedophile networks. “Contrary to common belief, it is not just on the dark web,” she said.

After the public outcry, the lower house approved the bill on Aug. 21 with minor amendments, and the Senate quickly confirmed it before sending it to the president. During debate, some lawmakers cautioned about potential overreach in internet regulation.

“The bill was seen by some as a ‘thermometer’ for broader regulation of Big Tech in Brazil,” Almeida said. “Opponents argue that the text, in its current form, could open precedents for restricting freedom of expression, while supporters stress that the proposal actually seeks to restore parents’ power to oversee their children’s digital lives.”

Ariel de Castro Alves, one of Brazil’s leading child rights experts, stressed that the law is only a first step. “The internet cannot be a lawless land,” he said.

Alves explained that companies will need systems for removing harmful content, technical teams dedicated to child safety, effective reporting channels, and investments in protective measures. They “can no longer simply profit from views, engagement and boosted content” that violate children’s rights.

He added that Brazil should also adopt a content rating system similar to that used for television and include safe internet education in school curricula.

Teixeira noted that the law “put Brazil on equal footing with other countries that already had a robust legal and political framework for protecting children and adolescents online, such as England,” but warned that the main challenge will be “to regulate and put it into practice.”

Archegas highlighted three key difficulties: developing effective age verification without creating digital exclusion or excessive surveillance, managing the economic burden of adapting global platforms to Brazil’s requirements, and ensuring enforcement so that the rules are more than symbolic.

Three Ofcom regulators with clipboards spent the weekend walking the exhibition floor of an international adult industry conference in Prague, urging the 1,700 delegates to comply with the UK’s new Online Safety Act.

“Don’t lie to us,” one of the regulators told a room full of pornography site owners and employees during a lunchtime presentation on the law’s age verification requirements, introduced in July to stop children from viewing explicit content. “Be honest and open. If your measures are not good enough yet, put that on your risk assessment.”

Delegates, some drinking champagne provided by conference sponsors, pressed the regulators with questions. What if a company couldn’t afford to install age verification? How big would the fines be? Could sites avoid compliance by blocking UK traffic? And what if competitors tipped off the regulator in an attempt to sabotage rival businesses?

“We exist to help you,” another Ofcom regulator assured an audience of about 50 men and seven women. “It’s hard. There are many, many things you need to know, but we exist to help members of the adult industry with compliance.”

Seven weeks after the introduction of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom officials said they wanted to emphasize positive progress. According to the regulators, all of the top 10 and most of the top 100 adult sites had either implemented age checks or blocked UK access. Social media sites that allow explicit content, such as X and Reddit, have also deployed age assurance. In August, there were 7.5 million visits to the top five age-verification providers, up from 1 million in June.

Officials described 27 July, the day the law came into effect, as “AV Day”—a moment they hoped would decisively shut off children’s access to online pornography. But the rollout has faced complications.

In the days immediately after implementation, downloads of VPNs surged as users sought to bypass geographic restrictions and age checks.

“The rollout has been fairly disastrous,” said Mike Stabile, director of public policy at the Free Speech Coalition in the U.S. “VPNs have surged; people have not been compliant; we’re seeing traffic go to pirate sites … I don’t think Ofcom would look at this and say: ‘This is what we wanted.’”

American lawyer Corey Silverstein, who has challenged similar age-verification laws in several U.S. states, said there was hostility among delegates. “People are very professional and very polite, but this isn’t the friendliest audience. Some people steer very clear of them. You can see it must be uncomfortable for them walking into a trade show like this.”

Still, Silverstein advised adult site owners to work with regulators. “Their goal is not to cut your legs off. They smile and they’re very nice. They’re not trying to kill you,” he said. “My understanding is they’re actually not even looking to financially fine you. They just want to push you in the right direction for compliance.”

At the conference, regulators in white shirts handed out paper questionnaires to delegates as steel drums played and dancers in feathered leotards entertained the crowd. The anonymous forms asked whether companies had adopted age verification and, if not, why they had done nothing. By Saturday evening, one official admitted few delegates had filled them out but expressed hope for more participation the next day.

So far, no company has been fined under the Online Safety Act, but Ofcom has opened 12 investigations covering more than 60 pornographic sites and apps.

This has caused unease among site operators, many of whom are already contending with new regulations in the U.S. and France. Still, some acknowledged the value of Ofcom’s outreach.

“In the U.S., people really don’t want to talk to us,” said Alex Kekesi, Pornhub’s vice president of brand and community. “We appreciate that Ofcom has invited us to have a seat at the table. We’re often not included in conversations that have to do with regulating our industry.”

Ahead of the law’s introduction, Ofcom created a Porn Portfolio team of six compliance officers to encourage adherence. Members of the team, who requested anonymity for safeguarding reasons, have attended similar conferences in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles. A separate enforcement team of more than 40 staff investigates violations.

“We are very conscious of the size of the sector and the ease with which anybody can set up a service that shares pornographic content,” one official said. “We’re not saying that we are going to manage to get every single service into compliance. The approach we take is targeting our resources on those areas where the most children are at most risk of harm.”

Penalties, when imposed, will be significant. Sites could face fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue.

“Companies can choose to not comply and take the risk that we will come after them and find them. We want enforcement to change that balance of incentives, so they think it’s just not worth taking the risk,” another regulator explained.

Officials also pushed back on the idea that VPN use means the law has failed, stressing that the main goal is to stop children from accidentally stumbling across pornography rather than blocking determined adults.

Beyond age verification, site operators are also wrestling with AI-generated pornographic content. Regulators warned companies to prevent the creation of violent or illegal imagery that could result in action by Ofcom or payment processors like Visa and Mastercard.

“From a compliance perspective, how can you tell the difference between a 15-year-old AI model and an 18- or 19-year-old AI model?” one delegate asked, concerned about preventing users from producing child sexual abuse material.

Steve Jones, who operates an AI porn site, explained how his team manages the issue. “We say your creation has to be at least 5ft tall, can’t be completely flat-chested and we ban things like pigtails and braces and all the childish toys and teddy bears and things like that,” he said. “AI doesn’t understand the difference between an adult woman that looks young and a young girl. We have to teach it. The AI itself has no morals and no ethics.”

The United Kingdom could soon see every adult required to carry a digital ID to work legally in the country. Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed a plan last week that would make digital identification mandatory by 2029.

Employers would be required to check new hires against an app-based system containing personal information such as a person’s name, photo, date of birth, nationality, and residency status. This system would replace the current process of reviewing physical IDs or National Insurance numbers, the U.K.’s equivalent of a Social Security number.

“The proposals are the government’s latest bid to tackle illegal immigration, with the new ID being a form of proof of a citizen’s right to live and work in the UK,” reports Sky News. “The so-called ‘Brit card’ will be subject to a consultation and would require legislation to be passed, before being rolled out.”

Civil libertarians and privacy experts warn that such a scheme could function as a national tracking system. “Currently, when somebody presents a plastic driver’s license, that interaction is between the two parties, and the government is none the wiser,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) noted in June. “But digital driver licenses—and other sorts of digital IDs—are being built so that the system notifies the government every time an identity card is used, giving it a bird’s-eye view of where, when, and to whom people are showing their identity. That ‘phone home’ functionality becomes especially intrusive as people start having to use digital ID online, giving the government the ability to track your browsing history.”

Starmer’s proposal stops short of requiring digital IDs for all online activities. “Under the proposals, anybody starting a new job would be required to hold the digital ID, which could then be checked against a central database of those with the right to work in the UK,” Sky News reports.

Still, earlier this year, “Downing Street was exploring proposals for a digital ID card to crack down on illegal migration, rogue landlords and exploitative work,” The Guardian reported. Critics note that such a system could easily be expanded beyond employment verification.

Once in place, politicians could be tempted to use digital IDs for taxes, health records, benefits, or even access to social media and adult websites. Guardian columnist Gabby Hinsliff warned of darker possibilities:

Though Britons wouldn’t have to produce their IDs when stopped on the street under Starmer’s plan, “a future administration could easily change that. Just imagine how useful ID cards would be in rounding people up for Trump-style mass deportations—especially if that effort was linked to facial recognition technology already in use by the British police, creating a system capable of automatically scanning crowds anywhere from a rush-hour Tube station to a football match and matching faces against an immigration database.”

Hinsliff said she was horrified by such a prospect. But, she noted, “many will not be—especially if it’s sold as a tool to stop some group they do not like.”

Civil liberties advocates warn the risks are not just political but also technological. “A centralised digital ID scheme would also be a honeypot for hackers and foreign adversaries, creating huge digital security risks for our data,” said the group Big Brother Watch.

Digital ID Trends in the U.S.

While Britons debate the proposal, the U.S. has already taken steps toward its own form of digital identification. The Real ID Act is one step in this direction, and as of June, 13 states had launched digital driver’s license systems, while another 21 had passed legislation to implement or study them, according to the ACLU. New Jersey passed such a measure in August.

The ACLU has issued recommendations for building digital ID systems that protect privacy. More than 80 individuals and organizations have also signed a letter urging that digital IDs be built without “phone home” capabilities.

“We call on authorities everywhere to favor identity solutions that have no phone home capability whatsoever, and to prioritize privacy and security over interoperability and ease of implementation,” the letter states.

Whether in the U.K. or the U.S., experts warn that political climates marked by suspicion of immigrants, restrictions on speech, and expanded surveillance powers make it less likely governments will adopt the most privacy-protective versions of digital ID systems.