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Supreme Court to Hear Free Speech Coalition's Challenge to Texas Age Verification Law for Pornographic Websites

Jan 15, 2025, 03:50 AM

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on a Texas law that requires age verification for accessing pornographic websites, marking a significant legal battle over free speech and child protection. The law, enacted in 2023, mandates that websites with more than one-third of content deemed 'sexual material harmful to minors' must verify the age of visitors using digital identification or government-issued ID. The Free Speech Coalition, representing the adult entertainment industry, challenges the law, arguing it infringes on adults' First Amendment rights by imposing burdensome verification processes. Texas defends the law as necessary to protect children from accessing harmful content online. The case has drawn attention from 18 other states with similar laws and has led to major pornography websites like Pornhub blocking access in Texas. The Supreme Court's decision could impact the future of online content regulation across the U.S.