Supreme Court Says Age Verification Laws for Porn Sites Are Constitutional

Gizmodo

27-06-2025

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that states with laws requiring age verification for porn sites is constitutional. The case, known as Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton (Ken Paxton is the Attorney General of Texas), was decided 6-3 with the court's three liberal justices dissenting.
The Texas law went into effect in 2023 and Pornhub started blocking access to the site in the Lone Star State in protest. Justice Clarence Thomas, a far-right extremist, wrote the opinion of the court, noting that 'not all speech is protected' under the First Amendment.
During oral arguments, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested changes in technology had made age verification laws necessary, while making a confusing argument.
'We're in an entirely different world,' Thomas said. 'Playboy was about squiggly lines on cable TV.'
The justice may be speaking from long-term experience. Thomas was confirmed as a justice in 1991 after contentious hearings about his sexual harassment of Anita Hill. A girlfriend of Thomas would later claim Thomas was 'obsessed with porn,' according to NPR.
The states with age verification laws: Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.