In a 6-3 ruling written by Justice Clarence Thomas (Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring cumbersome age verification mechanisms to enter sexually explicit websites, effectively jettisoning the 2004 precedent of Ashcroft v. ACLU. Critics have expressed concern that the real purpose of the Texas law is to discourage adult porn consumption, since many adults have understandable inhibitions about sharing their identity and private data with dubious content providers. Some legitimate providers such as Pornhub have preferred to cut off access in jurisdictions that demand age verification. Moreover, age verification requirements can easily be evaded by employing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and claiming residency in a less restrictive state. If you’re so inclined dear sexual subjects, be sure to check out journalist Ian Millhiser’s reporting for VOX on this decision.
Supreme court upholds mandatory ID for porn websites
