UPDATE: January 16, 2025, 11:25 a.m. EST
This article, originally published in March 2023, has been updated in light of Trump’s second presidential term and the recent Supreme Court hearing. It includes original interviews from 2023 as well as updated law information.
The attack on free speech online has been a growing concern in recent years, from the proposed TikTok ban to the end of net neutrality. With President-elect Donald Trump’s second term approaching and the proposals of Project 2025, a conservative wishlist for his term, becoming a real possibility, U.S. lawmakers are likely to continue targeting access to the free and open internet.
One area of concern is the rise of age-verification bills, which require individuals to provide proof of age to access adult content or even browse social media platforms. Experts warn that these bills pose serious threats to digital privacy and free speech.
Age-verification bills have been enacted in multiple states, starting with Louisiana’s Act 440 in 2022. Similar laws have been passed in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The Supreme Court recently heard a case regarding Texas’s age-verification law, with a decision expected in the summer.
In the UK, legislation requiring age verification on porn sites, known as the “porn block,” failed in 2019. However, UK communications watchdog Ofcom has called for age verification for explicit content using methods such as facial scans or photo IDs.
Project 2025 aims for a complete ban on pornography and the imprisonment of porn creators. One of the authors of Project 2025, Russell Vought, has discussed using age-verification bills as a means to achieve this goal. Companies like Pornhub have already blocked access in states with age-verification laws.
While age-verification bills may appear to protect children from adult content, experts caution that they are difficult to enforce and can lead to privacy risks. There are concerns about the impact on free speech, privacy protection, and the digital divide. Additionally, there are fears of increased identity theft and the censorship of adult creators.
To protect children from adult content, experts recommend monitoring their online activity, having open conversations about sex and porn, and educating them about the realities of adult content.