The Next Round in the Obscenity Wars

Photo by Nik Nikolla

Young people like watching pornography.   In 2023, an estimated 68 percent of U.S. adolescents viewed online pornography.  A 2022 survey of more than 1,300 teens (age 13 to 17) found that about 3 out of 4 teens reported that they had viewed online porn either accidentally or on purpose.  

In order to contain young people accessing porn via the internet, Texas adopted the “Online Age Verification Law” (HB 1181) in June 2023 that requires online content providers...