Indiana, Ohio AGs File Amicus Brief in Support of Texas AV Law

Indiana, Ohio AGs File Amicus Brief in Support of Texas AV Law

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, along with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and officials from 22 other states, on Friday filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law.

The law, HB 1181, is being challenged by a group led by the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) in the case Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for Jan. 15. 

Indiana is one of many states that have enacted laws requiring adult sites to verify the ages of users. In March, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 17, which took effect in August. Critics of the bills argue that they are ineffective in preventing minors from viewing adult content and unconstitutional in that they impinge on the rights of adults to access protected speech. Pornhub has repeatedly blocked access in states with AV laws, stating that this is the only way it can comply with such laws. 

The brief argues that “states have undisputed power to restrict minors’ access to obscene content, including pornography,” and that age verification laws are merely a “modest regulation of the multi-billion-dollar pornography industry, which inflicts harm on children along every dimension—psychological, social, emotional, neurobiological, and sexual.”

Industry attorney Corey Silverstein told XBIZ that he “respectfully disagrees” with the AGs’ argument.

“It is disappointing that these elected officials seem to have overlooked foundational constitutional principles,” he said, adding that he hopes local lawmakers will await the Supreme Court’s decision in FSC v. Paxton before enacting similar legislation.

In January 2023, Louisiana became the first state to enact a law requiring age verification by porn websites. Utah, Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas quickly followed. This year saw Montana, North Carolina, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Alabama, and Oklahoma join the list, with Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina scheduled to do so next year.

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

TeamSkeet, MYLF Launch New Website 'Pervz'

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF have launched a new website, Pervz.com.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for January, February

AEBN has announced the top search terms for January and February from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Porn Fidelity Signs Exclusive Partnership Deal With NMG Management

Adult studio Porn Fidelity has signed an exclusive partnership deal with brand management firm NMG Management.

Nigeria to Ban All Porn Websites, Penalize Non-Compliant ISPs

Nigeria's House of Representatives on Tuesday directed its telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to immediately block all porn websites across the country and to enforce that ban.

FSC Launches Action Modal for Adult Sites to Fight AV Laws

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has launched its new action modal web script for adult websites to help combat state age verification legislation.

SkyPrivate Announces New Communications Options

SkyPrivate has announced new communications options as alternatives to Skype, which Microsoft is retiring in May.

Cruel Reell Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Cruel Reell has joined the ranks of over 60 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

TEAs Show Hosts Defiant Celebration as Community Unites Amid Uncertainty

There was celebration in the air at the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards on Sunday night, but beneath the evening's festivities ran a strong undercurrent of defiance.

2025 TEAs Winners Announced

Winners of the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards (TEAs) were revealed Sunday night during an invitation-only event at Avalon nightclub in Hollywood.

NYU Study Finds Age Verification Laws Don't Work

A group of university researchers has published a study whose findings suggest that age verification laws are ineffective at achieving their stated goal of preventing minors from accessing adult content.

Show More