War On Porn
Age Verification: FSC's Mike Stabile Reports from the Front Lines
Two years into the religiously-inspired crusade to curtail access to adult material in the U.S. through carefully drafted “age verification” legislation, the constant onslaught of state-by-state proposals and laws — many of them copied from each other — can be hard to follow.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Signs Age Verification Bill Into Law
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.
California Republicans, Democrats Team Up to Advance Age Verification for Porn
Both Republicans and Democrats in the California Assembly’s Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee voted last week to move forward a version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
Seoul Authorities Force Cancellation of Adult Expo for 'Distorting Perceptions of Sex'
After Seoul authorities repeatedly prevented 2024 KXF The Fashion from finding a suitable venue, event organizers have canceled the popular Korean adult industry expo, which was scheduled for this week.
Democratic Governor Fails to Veto Kansas Age Verification Bill
Kansas’ Democratic governor, Laura Kelly, expressed strong reservations about the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, but ultimately decided not to veto it, allowing the legislation to become law by default without her signature.
FSC's Alison Boden Testifies Against California Age Verification Bill, Urges Action to Defeat It
Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Alison Boden testified Tuesday against AB 3080, California’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
FSC Asks Supreme Court to Overturn 5th Circuit Decision, Strike Texas' Age Verification Law
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) filed a petition for certiorari on Friday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Fifth Circuit panel decision that partially upheld Texas’ controversial age verification law.
Internet Researcher Maggie MacDonald Pens Op-Ed on the Risks of Canada's Age Verification Proposals
Online safety academic and Ethical Capital Partners’ advisory board member Maggie MacDonald penned an editorial for the Toronto Globe and Mail arguing that although mandatory age-verification for adult content will not work to prevent online harms for minors, it will erode everyone’s privacy instead.
Arizona Governor Vetoes Controversial Age Verification Bill
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the state's age verification bill, stating that legislation to protect children’s online safety “should be bipartisan and work within the bounds of the First Amendment, which this bill does not.”
Turkish Startup Launches 'Halal' Porn-Blocking Filter Kahf Guard
Turkish startup Halalz has released a new dedicated web browser and browser extension, Kahf Guard, which it says blocks 5.5 million sites Muslims consider “haram,” or forbidden, including adult content.
Heritage Foundation Celebrates Georgia Age Verification Law's Chilling Effect on Adult Free Speech
Influential think tank the Heritage Foundation produced an op-ed endorsing the Georgia version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, and celebrating its success in also preventing adults from accessing legal, First Amendment-protected pornographic content.
Alabama Republican's Persistent Campaign for Mandatory 'Porn Filters' Moves Forward in Legislature
The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill aiming to force phone and computer manufacturers to install default “porn filters” on devices sold in the state.
Tennessee's Age Verification Bill Escalates Effort to Criminalize Adult Sites
Tennessee’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists continues making its progress through the state legislature toward likely approval.
Arizona Legislature Passes Age Verification Bill Despite Strong Opposition
The Arizona state legislature on Monday passed the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite vocal opposition from Democratic legislators.
5th Circuit Denies Texas AV Law Stay Pending SCOTUS Appeal
The United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has rejected a petition, by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, to stay the court's recent decision upholding the law while they appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review its constitutionality.
Justices Alito, Thomas Invoke Victorian-Era Morality Law, Raising Censorship Concerns
Several national publications reported this week on widespread concern among Free Speech advocates after U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked, during a hearing, the Comstock Act, an infamous law that was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s.
Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns
Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to stay its recent decision upholding the law, because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.
FSC Vows to Fight Florida Age Verification Law
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has issued a statement vowing to continue fighting Florida’s new age verification law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday as part of a comprehensive bill targeting minors’ use of social media.
Kansas Republican Aims to Create New Bureaucracy to 'Investigate' Porn Websites
Republican state legislators succeeded Monday in moving forward Kansas’ version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite serious concerns raised by House Democrats about the cost of establishing a new bureaucracy tasked with investigating websites for pornographic content.