Starting Friday, Arizona will require age verification to access adult websites. Users will have to prove they’re at least 18 years old. One option under the new law is to upload government-issued ID.
But this law is raising enforcement questions by opponents, including Michael Stabile with the Free Speech Coalition, which represents the adult entertainment industry. He says when forced to verify their age, viewers just move on to other sites.
“What we find is that consumers do not comply with this law. When our members have attempted to comply with this law in other states, 95% of the people have left. They've gone someplace else, because the internet is global," Stabile said.
And adult websites outside the U.S. will likely not follow domestic screening laws.
The law is also raising concerns among some opponents who worry this could have a chilling effect on free speech.
The law is aimed at restricting access to "sexual material that is harmful to minors," like pornography.
“That's still in the title of the bill, but pornography is not the subject of the bill,” says Jeanne Woodbury, an associate lobbyist with Creosote Partners who lobbies for the ACLU. She says the issue is how “sexual material” is defined.
“And the definition of sexual material harmful to minors is very subjective. It's open to interpretation. And so one parent's understanding of what that means could encompass standard sexual education, and it could encompass descriptions and information about even domestic violence," Woodbury said.
Rep. Nick Kupper, the Surprise Republican who crafted the legislation that takes effect Friday, says the law applies only to sites where a third of its content is considered sexual material harmful to minors.
“So if you're hosting content that some parents might think is sexual material that's harmful to minors, those parents, if their kids go to that website, could now potentially sue you.”
For tens of thousands of dollars — which, critics say, could have a chilling effect on free speech.
Supporters also say this new law offers another layer of protection beyond just asking if the user is 18.
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