The state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against Aylo Global Entertainment, the parent company of popular online porn distributor Pornhub, over claims that it failed to comply with the state’s new age verification law. The lawsuit alleges that Aylo Global published sexually explicit material that is accessible and harmful to Texas children and adolescents. Texas officials accuse the company of not implementing reasonable age verification measures to ensure that viewers accessing pornography on their websites are 18 years or older, as required by the state law.
The age verification law, House Bill 1181, was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in June of last year. It not only mandates age verification but also requires porn websites to display health warnings on their landing pages. These warnings highlight the negative emotional, psychological, and physical health outcomes associated with exposure to pornography among pre-teens. The bill aims to protect minors from being exposed to obscene materials and increase awareness about the potential harm caused by pornography.
According to Texas officials, Aylo Global’s age verification methods do not meet the requirements set by the legislation. They argue that minors visiting the company’s websites are either immediately presented with harmful sexual material without any verification or are asked to complete a trivial step of clicking an ‘enter’ button, which is not sufficient age verification. The lawsuit states that even when an ‘enter’ button is required, it is often displayed alongside sexual material, defeating the purpose of age verification.
The consequences for violating the age verification law are significant. Companies can be fined up to $10,000 per day for each violation and face an additional $10,000 per day if they illegally retain identifying information. If a child is exposed to pornographic content due to inadequate age verification, the entities may have to pay $250,000. Texas is seeking an injunction to force Aylo Global to comply with the state’s age verification system and display the required health warnings. Additionally, they are requesting $1.6 million in civil penalties from the company.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton emphasized the state’s right to protect children from the detrimental effects of pornographic content. He expressed his commitment to holding companies accountable for violating age verification laws and preventing minors from being exposed to harmful material on the internet.
The lawsuit comes after several pornography websites challenged House Bill 1181 in an attempt to prevent it from going into effect. While the measure was initially blocked in district court, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the injunction, allowing Texas to enforce the law.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Aylo Global Entertainment for comment on the lawsuit.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the regulation of online pornography and the protection of minors from explicit material. It highlights the ongoing debate surrounding age verification measures and the responsibility of online platforms to ensure that their content is not accessible to underage individuals. As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the court addresses these issues and whether it sets a precedent for similar legal actions in other states or countries.
