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Articles by Rick Louis

Arcom-Targeted Sites Implement Age Verification in France

Five high-traffic adult websites based outside of France have implemented age verification as required under the nation’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, after receiving warnings from French media regulator Arcom.

Florida Attorney General Dismisses AV Suit Against Segpay

The Florida attorney general’s office on Monday agreed to dismiss claims against payment processor Segpay in a lawsuit over alleged noncompliance with the state’s age verification law.

FTC Weighs Reboot of 'Click to Cancel' Rulemaking Process

The Federal Trade Commission has invited public comments on a petition to renew trade regulation rulemaking concerning negative option plans, after a federal court previously vacated a “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions.

New Federal Bills Aim to Repeal Section 230

Members of Congress this week introduced two bills calling for the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects interactive computer services — including adult platforms — from liability for user-generated content.

House of Lords Approves UK Plan to Outlaw 'Choking' Content

The House of Lords, the U.K.’s upper house of Parliament, has agreed to amendments to the pending Crime and Policing Bill that would make depicting “choking” in pornography illegal and designate it a “priority offense” under the Online Safety Act.

Indiana Sues Aylo Over AV, Calls IP Address Blocking 'Insufficient'

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against Aylo, alleging that the company and its affiliates have violated both Indiana’s age verification law and the state’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.

House Committee Amends, Advances Federal AV Bill

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee voted Thursday to amend the SCREEN Act, which would make site-based age verification of users seeking to access adult content federal law, and to advance the bill for review by the full Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Report: AVS Group Beefs Up AV After $1.3 Million Fine

Adult content provider AVS Group has begun to institute robust age checks on some of its websites after U.K. media regulator Ofcom last week imposed a penalty of approximately $1.3 million for noncompliance with Online Safety Act regulations, the BBC is reporting.

Washington AV Bill Jumps on 'Health Warning' Bandwagon

A new age verification bill in the Washington state legislature would require adult sites to post notices warning users of alleged health risks, despite a previous federal court ruling against such requirements.

Irish Regulator: EU States to Ramp Up AV Enforcement for Smaller Sites

A representative of Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán told legislators that Ireland and other EU states are preparing to expand enforcement of age verification regulations to include smaller adult sites, British newspaper The Times is reporting.

Ofcom Fines AVS Group $1.3 Million for AV Noncompliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Wednesday imposed a penalty of one million pounds, or approximately $1.3 million, on AVS Group Ltd. after an investigation concluded that the company had failed to implement robust age checks on 18 adult websites.

Updated: Aylo to Help Test EU Age Verification App

Pornhub parent company Aylo plans to participate in the European Commission’s pilot program for its “white label” age verification app, a spokesperson for the company has confirmed.

Missouri Lawmaker Attempts to Revive 'Health Warnings' for Adult Sites

A Missouri state representative has introduced a bill that would require adult sites to post notices warning users of alleged physical, mental, and social harms associated with pornography, despite a previous federal court ruling against such requirements.

Ruling: Italy's 'Porn Tax' Applies to All Content Creators

Italy’s tax revenue agency has ruled that the nation’s 25% “ethical tax” on income generated from adult content applies even to smaller independent online content creators.

Proposed New Hampshire AV Bill Appears to Violate Constitution

A bill in the New Hampshire state legislature, aimed at requiring adult sites to age-verify users in that state, contains a provision that seemingly contradicts the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.

Online Child Protection Hearing to Include Federal AV Bill

A House subcommittee will hold a hearing next week on a slate of bills aimed at protecting minors online, including the SCREEN Act, which would make site-based age verification of users seeking to access adult content federal law.

Canada Exempts Online Adult Content From 'CanCon' Quotas

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has updated its broadcasting regulatory policies, exempting streaming adult content from “made in Canada” requirements that apply to other online material.

German Court Puts Pornhub, YouPorn 'Network Ban' on Hold

The Administrative Court of Düsseldorf has temporarily blocked the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (LfM) from forcing telecom providers based within the court's jurisdiction to cut off access to Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn.

NYC Adult Businesses Seek SCOTUS Appeal in Zoning Case

Attorneys representing a group of New York City adult businesses are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a lower court’s decision allowing enforcement of a 2001 zoning law aimed at forcing adult retail stores out of most parts of New York City.

Ofcom Investigates More Sites in Wake of AV Traffic Shifts

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into 20 more adult sites as part of its age assurance enforcement program under the Online Safety Act.

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