Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Signs Age Verification Bill Into Law

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Signs Age Verification Bill Into Law

ATLANTA — Republican Gov. Brian Kemp this week signed into law a bill that includes provisions requiring age verification for viewing adult content in Georgia, mirroring legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

SB 351 was introduced by Republican Sen. Jason Anavitarte, a member of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which was founded by veteran religious conservative figurehead Ralph Reed.

As XBIZ reported, the age verification requirement was originally introduced by Republican Rep. Rick Jasperse in February as a separate House Bill, HB 910, and later inserted into SB 351.

The Georgia House passed SB 351 on a 120-45 vote and the Senate approved it 48-7, in spite of warnings by First Amendment Georgia and other civil liberties advocates.

The new law requires social media companies to verify that users are at least 16 years of age or older, unless they receive approval from an individual’s parents to use the service. It also requires websites whose content is considered “harmful to minors” — including pornography — to verify that their users are age 18 or older, if such material comprises over a third of the site’s content.

Kemp’s office announced the signing through a press release highlighting SB 351 as a priority for Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who has defined himself in campaign material as “husband, father, believer.”

The media campaign promoting the age verification requirement was spearheaded by Georgia-based lobbying group Frontline Policy Action, led by religious Republican activist Cole Muzio, who launched it in 2017 in partnership with the national Family Policy Alliance. According to its literature, the group primarily “exists to glorify God and equip His people to transform the culture.”

The Catholic Vote news site heralded the signing of SB 351 with a peculiar, overtly censorship-endorsing headline underlining these bills’ real intention: “Georgia joins list of states shutting down porn sites as governor signs age verification law.”

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

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Dredd to Launch Official Site

Dredd has announced his new website OfficialDreddXXX.com, launching April 20.

New Pleasure Product Review Site 'ToyChats' Launches

ToyChats.com, a pleasure product review and discussion site, has officially launched.

AEBN Reveals Jade Venus as Top Trans Star for Q1 of 2025

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the first quarter of 2025, with Jade Venus landing atop the leaderboard.

SexLikeReal Debuts 'AI Passthrough' Feature

SexLikeReal has introduced an AI Passthrough for video editing during VR livestreaming.

Ron Jeremy's Accusers Reach Settlement With Rainbow Bar & Grill

The Rainbow Bar & Grill has reached confidential settlements with a group of women who filed a negligence lawsuit against the Sunset Strip restaurant over alleged sexual assaults committed by Ron Jeremy, according to Rolling Stone.

Cherry Kiss, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q1 of 2025

AEBN has announced its top-selling stars for the first quarter of 2025, with Cherry Kiss landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

Sportsheets Joins FSC as Gold Member

Sportsheets has joined Free Speech Coalition (FSC) as a Gold-level member.

Age Verification Watch: Two End Runs, Two Failed Bills

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Show More