Wall Street Journal Covers 2257 Battle

WASHINGTON — In a lengthy article published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, staff reporter David Kesmodel details the controversial legal battle between the adult industry and the federal government’s U.S.C. 18 § 2257 record-keeping laws.

Although the record-keeping regulations have been of major concern to many in the adult community, mainstream press have given the bill scant attention over the past year, despite the fact that many in the adult world say overregulation — from 2257 and other proposed bills — would effectively shut them down.

In his article, Kesmodel writes about the Free Speech Coalition’s ongoing legal battle on behalf of the adult community and speaks with several webmasters who say their businesses already have suffered because of the bill. Quoting Mark Prince at webcam company 2much Internet Services, Kesmodel writes that several “performers have quit over privacy concerns since their information could be shared with other adult sites.”

Kesmodel goes on to highlight AEBN’s Scott Coffman’s frustration with the law. Now only has Coffman spent more than $300,000 trying to get his online retail site to comply with 2257, he says several filmmakers simply refuse to give up actor information. The end result: only about half of AEBN’s 40,000 films have complete records.

“I don't see how me and another 10,000 sites storing the records helps,” Coffman is quoted as saying. “The only records I'm storing are what the manufacturers are giving me.”

Citing Wall Street Journal policy, Kesmodel could not speak with XBiz as to why the paper chose to cover the 2257 issue.

The full text of his article can be read here.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

New EU User Stats Could Reclassify Major Adult Sites Under DSA

Three high-traffic adult sites previously classified as “very large online platforms” under the European Union’s Digital Services Act are reporting user numbers below the threshold for that label, opening the way for possible downgrading of their obligations under that law.

Spicerack Launches 'SpicyFanz' Creator Monetization Platform

Adult product marketplace Spicerack Market has launched its SpicyFanz creator monetization platform.

Singapore Livestreamer Jailed for Performing 'Obscene Acts' in Public

A judge in Singapore on Thursday sentenced a Vietnamese woman to three weeks in jail for livestreaming “obscene acts” from a public area.

FSC Withdraws Support for North Dakota AV Bill

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has withdrawn its support for an age verification bill in North Dakota, following changes made by the state legislature.

APClips Launches New Blog

APClips has launched a blog, AmateurPorn.com.

Centrobill Launches 'Max' Payment Suite

Payment processing service Centrobill has launched its new Max Suite toolkit.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for December, January

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in December and January.

South Dakota Legislators Debate AV Legal Strategies

The South Dakota state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday heard testimony and debate over two competing age verification bills, in a hearing that focused largely on which piece of legislation could best withstand potential legal challenges.

Mobile OnlyFans Management Platform 'TopCreator' Launches

Mobile OnlyFans management and chat platform TopCreator has launched.

JustFor.fans Marks Its 7th Anniversary With Palm Springs Conference

JustFor.fans is celebrating its seventh anniversary with a four-day conference and party in Palm Springs May 18-21.

Show More