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Ken Paxton defends Texas age-verification law at Supreme Court

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Monday, December 23, 2024

Ken Paxton defends Texas age-verification law at Supreme Court

State AG
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Attorney General Ken Paxton | Official Website

Attorney General Ken Paxton has submitted a brief to the Supreme Court of the United States, advocating for the maintenance of House Bill 1181. This Texas law mandates that pornography companies implement age-verification measures to protect children from explicit online content. The case is set to be argued before SCOTUS on January 15, 2025.

After the passage of HB 1181 in 2023, pornography distributors filed lawsuits to halt its enforcement. Despite this, Attorney General Paxton achieved a significant victory allowing Texas to continue enforcing the law during ongoing litigation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit determined that Texas's age verification requirement does not infringe upon First Amendment rights. Pornography companies have since appealed this decision to the Supreme Court.

"Let me put this simply: these companies do not have a right to expose children to pornography," stated Attorney General Paxton. "Texas has a clear interest in protecting children, and we have been successful defending this commonsense age verification law against a powerful global industry."

Numerous states, lawmakers, and experts have shown support for Paxton’s defense through amicus briefs. These include two dozen State Attorneys General, over 60 lawmakers from 15 states, members of the Texas Senate, and more than 20 U.S. Congressmen and Senators. Medical experts and organizations like the Foundation for Addiction Research have also urged upholding the law due to its importance in shielding children from harmful content.

Paxton has been assertive in enforcing HB 1181 while legal proceedings are ongoing, filing lawsuits against Aylo Global Entertainment—operator of sites including Pornhub—for non-compliance with age verification requirements. In response, Pornhub ceased operations in Texas rather than adhere to these regulations.

Companies failing to comply with HB 1181 face fines up to $10,000 per day for violations and additional penalties if they retain identifying information or fail in their duty resulting in child exposure to pornographic material.

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