Court Blocks Texas Law Aimed at Protecting Children From Online Porn

A Texas judge has sided with online porn providers to stop a bill protecting children from adult sites, citing the First Amendment.
Court Blocks Texas Law Aimed at Protecting Children From Online Porn
Screens displaying a minor child sign and the logo of the pornographic site Pornhub in Toulouse, France, on May 24, 2022. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images
Naveen Athrappully
Updated:
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A federal judge in Texas has blocked a state law seeking to impose age requirements on adult websites, claiming the bill violates the First Amendment and is a threat to privacy.

Texas’ HB 1181 (pdf) requires adult sites to verify the age of visitors to ensure they are 18 years of age or older. It was signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott on June 12 and was set to come into effect on Sept. 1.