Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a significant victory in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in a case against pornography distributors. The court ruled in favor of Texas, allowing the state to implement a new law aimed at protecting children from accessing obscene materials online. The legislation requires pornography websites to verify the age of users and provide warnings about the potential harmful effects of pornography consumption.
The law, known as House Bill 1181, was passed by the Texas Legislature earlier this year. However, pornography companies, including popular sites like Pornhub, XVideos, and XNXX, filed a lawsuit to prevent the law from taking effect. They argued that the requirement to verify users' age violated their rights.
The Office of the Attorney General ("OAG") appealed the district court's injunction against the law, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay on the injunction. This means that the OAG can now enforce the law and hold companies accountable for failing to comply with the age verification requirement.
Under the new law, companies found to have violated the age verification requirement may face fines of up to $10,000 per day. If a corporation illegally retains identifying information, an additional $10,000 per day can be imposed. Furthermore, if a child is exposed to pornographic content due to the failure to verify a user's age, the penalty can be as high as $250,000.
Attorney General Paxton emphasized the importance of protecting children from the harmful effects of pornography. He stated, "Texas has a right to protect its children from the detrimental effects of pornographic content. As new technology makes harmful content more accessible than ever, we must make every effort to defend those who are most vulnerable."
This ruling marks a significant step forward in safeguarding children from accessing explicit and harmful materials online. By enforcing age verification requirements and providing warnings about the potential consequences of pornography consumption, Texas is taking proactive measures to protect its young population.
To read the full order, please click here.
For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-wins-major-victory-protecting-children-obscene-materials