The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for accessing online pornography, giving the green light to similar laws in more than a dozen states.
The high court ruled 6-3 in favor of the law, rejecting the adult entertainment industry’s argument that the law infringes on privacy rights. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion.
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“The power to require age verification is within a State’s authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content. H. B. 1181 is a constitutionally permissible exercise of that authority,” Thomas wrote.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote a dissent, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The justices heard arguments in the case on Jan. 16 and appeared open to upholding the age verification laws at the center of the case.
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Texas Solicitor General Aaron Nielson defended the law by arguing to the justices that it protects minors without infringing on the rights of adults who wish to view the content. Derek Shaffer, a lawyer representing the adult entertainment industry, argued before the high court that the age verification laws infringe on adults’ rights to view the content by requiring them to submit personal information to view pornography. Shaffer argued that families can filter content on their own devices if they wish to protect their children from it.
The Supreme Court’s decision will have implications beyond Texas, as it will determine the fate of 19 states with similar laws.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.