Texas sues Pornhub for alleged age verification law violation
Texas's Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against Pornhub's parent company, alleging that it has broken the state's age verification law. This is the first lawsuit of its kind under the contentious legislation that has been spreading across the US over the past year. Paxton expressed his eagerness to stop minors from accessing "harmful, obscene material" online.
HB 1181 requires age verification on adult sites
In June last year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 1181 into law, requiring adult websites to verify users' ages. To access adult content, individuals must provide digital IDs or any other official proof of age, whether at home or on any device. The law also mandates that sites display a "Texas Health and Human Services Warning" on their homepages in a 14-point font or larger.
'Texas has a right to protect children from pornography'
Paxton mentioned in a press release that his office is suing Aylo Global Entertainment for violating the law. Instead of verifying the age of users, the firm "immediately presents minors who access their websites with pornographic content," the statement said. Aylo owns Pornhub, YouPorn, and Brazzers, among other sites, and the lawsuit seeks an injunction against it. "Texas has a right to protect its children from the detrimental effects of pornographic content," Paxton added.
Recalling the Texas-Pornhub legal battle
Texas has been engaged in a legal battle with Pornhub since 2023. In August, Pornhub sued to prevent the law from taking effect on September 1, and a judge ruled in its favor. Later, Paxton appealed the judiciary's decision with the Fifth Circuit, which put a stay on the stay, and the law became effective. In response, Aylo officially withdrew from several states over age verification laws like Texas, Montana, and Virginia. However, Pornhub is accessible in Texas with VPN.