The Truth About Age Verification Laws for Porn: What They’re Really Doing

Free Speech Coalition: "These mandates are ineffective, unconstitutional, and dangerous.”

Across the United States, a growing number of states are passing age verification laws targeting online pornography. These bills claim to protect minors—but if you take a closer look, what’s really happening is far more dangerous. As an erotic content creator, a member of the Free Speech Coalition, and someone who deeply values consent, privacy, and autonomy, I want to talk about what these laws are actually doing—and who they’re really hurting.

This post pairs with my latest podcast episode (listen here), where I break this down from the perspective of someone living and working in this space.

🚨 What Are These Laws, and Where Are They Being Passed?

States like Texas, Florida, Utah, Arizona, and over a dozen others have introduced or passed laws requiring government-issued ID verification before adults can access sexually explicit content online. In theory, these laws are meant to keep minors out—but in practice, they introduce massive problems:

• Privacy risks from forced ID uploads

• Legal overreach that likely violates the First Amendment

• Censorship of LGBTQ+ and sexual wellness content

• Economic harm to sex workers and adult creators

Platforms like Pornhub have already pulled out of some states completely in protest, and more may follow.

🧠 What the Free Speech Coalition Says

The Free Speech Coalition, the trade association for the adult industry, has been leading the charge in challenging these laws. Their stance is clear:

“These mandates are ineffective, unconstitutional, and dangerous.”

FSC is currently challenging Texas’s age verification law in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, arguing that it violates free speech and sets a dangerous precedent. These laws don’t pass the legal standard of “narrow tailoring” and fail to use the least restrictive means of protecting minors. In other words: they’re bad law, plain and simple.

🔍 Why These Laws Are Failing (and Hurting Real People)

Let’s be real: these laws don’t stop minors from seeing porn. What they do is scare adults away from exploring their sexuality online, push marginalized creators off platforms, and normalize invasive surveillance tactics.

Unintended (but very real) consequences include:

• Data breaches tied to personal sexual behavior

• Loss of access to vital LGBTQ+, kink, and sexual health resources

• Shaming users for exploring adult content

• Devastating income loss for creators like myself

We’re already seeing a chilling effect—and the long-term impact could be devastating for free expression and sexual autonomy online.

✅ Real Solutions That Don’t Violate Rights

The good news? We don’t need to choose between safety and freedom. Here are solutions that actually work:

• Parental control tools that empower guardians to manage content

• Comprehensive sex education that helps youth make informed decisions

• Platform moderation, including content tags, filters, and opt-in systems

We can create an internet that’s both sex-positive and safe—without handing over our privacy.

🗣️ My Call to You

If you’re someone who enjoys adult content, values privacy, or believes in personal freedom—this matters to you. These laws aren’t just hurting creators; they’re reshaping how we connect, express, and explore online.

I invite you to:

• 🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode here

• 🧠 Learn more at freespeechcoalition.com

• Share this blog post or podcast out

Let’s stay informed, stay empowered, and never stop questioning who gets to control our bodies, our pleasure, and our voices.