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A real turnoff: Viewing porn in Louisiana now requires users to verify their age and submit state-issued ID
- A new law in Louisiana makes it illegal for porn sites to post or distribute content that is deemed “harmful to minors” without installing age verification.
- The law, which took effect on January 1, 2023, applies to sites with at least 33.3% ‘harmful to minors’ content.
- It is defined as material that “appeals to prurient interests” and depicts “sexual acts” or “nudity” that lack “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
- As a result of the law, Pornhub now requires Louisiana users to verify their age through a third-party identity verification site.
- Other major adult sites remain accessible to users in the state
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Viewers wishing to view porn in the state of Louisiana are now required to submit a state ID to verify their age before accessing adult sites.
A new law went into effect on January 1 that holds pornographic sites liable for content deemed “harmful to minors” if they fail to implement age verification technology.
It means that anyone who wants to view pornography in the state must now present a driver’s license or other identification card that identifies their age.
Pornhub is currently the only site that requires visitors to verify their age through the LA Wallet app, a digital wallet for Louisiana state driver’s licenses.
The law, known as Ley 440, allows pornographic sites to be sued for damages resulting from a minor’s access to such content and is an unusually harsh step in a series of government crackdowns in the name of child safety.
A new law in Louisiana makes it illegal for porn sites to post or distribute content that is deemed “harmful to minors” without installing age verification.
The legislation was authored by Republican Rep. Laurie Schlegel, who also advocated for legislation that would bar transgender teens from participating in school sports based on their gender identity.
It applies to any commercial entity that posts or distributes such material on the Internet from a website that contains at least 33.3 percent pornography.
The legislation was drafted by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, who also advocated for legislation that would bar transgender teens from participating in school sports based on their gender identity.
The reasoning behind the law is the fear that ‘minors will be exposed to pornography at younger ages due to technological advances and the universal availability of the Internet’.
The law states how pornography can “contribute to the hypersexualization of children and lead to low self-esteem, body image disorders, and risky sexual behavior.”
Material deemed ‘harmful to minors’ is defined as ‘appealing to prurient interests and lacking serious artistic, literary, political or scientific value to anyone under the age of 18’.
The law also provides that any commercial entity in violation will be liable for damages resulting from a minor’s access to the material.
As a result of the law, Pornhub now requires Louisiana users to verify their age through a third-party identity verification site.
Pornhub currently requires identity verification for users accessing the site from a Louisiana-based IP address, while other major adult sites, including XVideos and XHamster, remain accessible from Louisiana and have yet to implement age controls.
OnlyFans site does not load correctly when accessed from a Louisiana IP according to Vice.
Lawmakers in several US states have declared pornography a public health crisis.
In Utah, sites are required to give users warnings before entering, but age verification is being considered.
A California law passed in August raised concerns that non-porn sites might have to verify the age of users to comply, though the rules have not yet gone into effect. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a bill that would require age verification for adult sites at the federal level.