We’ve been talking a lot by the rush of states to push for age verification laws all over the world, despite basically every expert noting that age verification technology is inherently a problem for privacy and security, and the laws mandating it are terrible. So far, it seems that only the Australian government has decided to buck the trend and push back on implementing such laws. But, much of the rest of the world is moving forward with them, while a bunch of censorial prudes cheer these laws on despite the many concerns about them.

The Free Speech Coalition, the trade group representing the adult content industry, has sued to block the age verification laws in the US that specifically target their websites. We reported on how their case in Utah was dismissed on procedural grounds, because that law is a bounty-type law with a private right of action, so there was no one in the government that could be sued. However, the similar law in Texas did not include that setup (even as Texas really popularized that method with its anti-abortion law). The Free Speech Coalition sued over the law to block it from going into effect.

Judge David Alan Ezra (who is technically a federal judge in Hawaii, but is hearing Texas cases because the Texas courts are overwhelmed) has issued a pretty sweeping smackdown of these kinds of laws, noting that they violate the 1st Amendment and that they’re barred by Section 230.

  • @[email protected]
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    2710 months ago

    I’ve never met a teenager traumatized by porn. Admittedly, I don’t ask teenagers about their porn habits either. But, I’m pretty sure people seeking out porn aren’t going to be ruined by it.

    • @[email protected]
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      2110 months ago

      The most harmful aspect is the unrealistic expectations it can set. In general, sex in porn is nothing like real life sex between two folks in love.

      But that can be solved by decent sex education.

      • I'm back on my BS 🤪
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        310 months ago

        I have had porn sex before. It can be a fun twist when you’re sensory seeking and fucking 3 times a day cause everything else in the relationship is shit.

    • yukichigai
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      810 months ago

      I’ve never met a teenager traumatized by porn.

      2girls1cup: “am I a joke to you?”

    • comfortablyglum
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      410 months ago

      As an adult, I can look back and say I wish I hadn’t seen the type and amount of porn I saw as a preteen/teen. And today’s standard porn can be insanely aggressive; this has an affect. I have nothing against porn in general, but I also understand the concern.

      • @[email protected]
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        510 months ago

        Maybe so, but that’s not what this is about. It’s just another way to further erode privacy. You can monitor children’s online activity and restrict it. It’s as simple as that.

    • FuglyDuck
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      310 months ago

      the only way I could see that being really traumatic is if it’s their parents… and they didn’t know their mom was a pornstar or something.

  • @[email protected]
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    1110 months ago

    You’d think that Texas, a state known for their love of the 2nd amendment, would have at least read the rest of it up to that point.

    • @[email protected]
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      1710 months ago

      Have you seen Texas recently? I’m tempted to start a petition to give it back to Mexico.

    • CrazyEddie041
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      510 months ago

      You’re assuming they ever read even the 2nd amendment. They just listen to what some pundit on Fox tells them it says.

  • Osa-Eris-Xero512
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    610 months ago

    I wonder how different this ruling would have looked if it was in front of the usual Texas judge pool.