A real turn off: When watching porn in Louisiana, users are now required to verify their age and provide state-issued ID
- A new law in Louisiana prohibits porn sites from posting or distributing content deemed “harmful to minors” without installing age verification
- The law, which came into force on January 1, 2023, applies to pages with at least 33.3% content that is harmful to young people
- It is defined as material that “appeals to lustful interests” and depicts “sexual acts” or “nudity” that lacks “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
- As a result of the law, Pornhub now requires users in Louisiana to verify their age through a third-party identity verification site
- Other major adult sites remain accessible to users in the state
Viewers looking to view porn in the state of Louisiana are now required to provide state ID to verify their age before accessing the adult sites.
On January 1, a new law came into force that holds porn sites accountable for content deemed “harmful to minors” if they fail to implement age verification technology.
That means anyone wanting to view pornography in the state is now required to present a driver’s license or other proof of age.
Pornhub is currently the only site that requires visitors to verify their age through the LA Wallet app, a digital wallet for Louisiana state driver’s licenses.
The law, known as Act 440, allows porn sites to be sued for damages resulting from a minor’s access to such content, and is an unusually harsh step in a series of government crackdowns in the name of child safety.
A new law in Louisiana prohibits porn sites from posting or distributing content deemed “harmful to minors” without installing age verification
The bill was authored by Republican Rep. Laurie Schlegel, who also lobbied for legislation barring transgender teens from participating in school sports in a manner consistent with their gender identity
It applies to any commercial entity that publishes or distributes such material on the Internet from a website that is at least 33.3 percent porn.
The legislation was authored by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, who has also lobbied for legislation banning transgender teenagers from participating in school sports based on their gender identity.
The reason for the law is the fear that “due to technological advances and the universal availability of the internet, minors are being exposed to pornography at a younger age”.
The law states that pornography “can contribute to the hypersexualization of children and lead to low self-esteem, body image disorders and risky sexual behaviors.”
Material deemed “harmful to minors” is defined as “material appealing to lewd interests without serious artistic, literary, political or scientific value for persons under the age of 18”.
The law also states that any commercial entity that breaks the law will be liable for any damage caused by a minor accessing the material.
As a result of the law, Pornhub now requires users in Louisiana to verify their age through a third-party identity verification site
Pornhub currently requires identity verification for users accessing the site from a Louisiana-based IP address, while other major adult sites, including XVideos and XHamster, remain accessible from Louisiana and have not yet implemented age verification.
OnlyFans website does not load properly when accessed from a Louisiana IP, according to Vice.
Lawmakers in a number of US states have declared pornography a public health crisis.
In Utah, websites are required to warn users before entering, but are considering introducing age verification.
A California law passed in August has raised concerns that non-porn websites may need to verify users’ ages to comply, though the rules have yet to take effect. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced legislation that would require federal age verification for adult websites.