Articles by Rick Louis
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 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.
xHamster Settles Texas AV Lawsuit, Pays $120,000
Hammy Media, parent company of xHamster, has settled a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas over alleged noncompliance with the state’s age verification law, agreeing to pay a $120,000 penalty.
SCOTUS Won't Hear Appeal of NYC Adult Store Zoning Law
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined 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.
OnlyFans Institutes Criminal Background Checks for US Creators
OnlyFans will screen creators in the United States for criminal convictions, CEO Keily Blair has announced in a post on LinkedIn.
Strike 3 Rejects Meta 'Personal Use' Defense in AI Suit
Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings this week responded to Facebook parent company Meta’s motion to dismiss Strike 3’s suit accusing Meta of pirating VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.
Pornhub, Stripchat: VLOP Designation Based on Flawed Data
In separate cases, attorneys for Pornhub and Stripchat this week told the EU’s General Court that the European Commission relied on unreliable data when it classified the sites as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) under the EU’s Digital Services Act, news organization MLex reports.
UK Moving Ahead with Plan to Outlaw 'Choking' Content
The U.K. government has announced its intent to follow through on criminalizing “choking” content, a plan that was announced earlier this year.
Italy to Require Age Verification for Adult Sites
Italian media regulator AGCOM has announced that all sites and platforms hosting adult content will be required to implement age verification systems to prevent access by users under 18.
Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill
Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.