A new law in US state Louisiana status that pornographic websites must check that users are over the age of 18 or risk being sued.
Republican state legislator Laurie Schlegel introduced the bill, saying that she was ‘inspired’ by singer Billie Eilish after the musician spoke about the effect watching porn as a child had on her.
However, she is facing backlash by US adult industry campaigners, saying that the law is the wrong solution.
Under the Louisiana legislation, most users are expected to use a smartphone app called LA Wallet to verify their age. The app requires a driving license or an official state identity card to establish the age.
Users of Pornhub, one of the largest pornographic websites, are directed to an age verification process. On-screen text says that the law requires the site to put in place a process for verifying the age of users who connect from the state.
The message also ‘guarantees’ that it does not collect data during the process. The law does not make it illegal to allow children to access porn sites but it does enable people to sue websites that do not have age checks.
Some lawyers are however questioning whether the legislation is compatible with US constitutional protections for freedom of speech.
Mike Stabile, working for the Free Speech Coalition, told BBC that simple, free filters available on most devices would prevent access to adult content by minors in the same way. Meanwhile, he said, the legislation is a dangerous step towards censorship and should ‘be seen in the context of an effort by conservative and faith-based groups to “remove sex and information about sex” from the public square.’
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