SCOTUS hears case on Texas law protecting kids from online porn
Caroline MolloyThe Supreme Court Wednesday heard oral arguments in the case of Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, which could decide the fate of a Texas law protecting children from explicit online content. According to sources, the arguments lasted just over two hours.
The bipartisan age-verification law, H.B. 1181, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023, had passed the Texas legislature in a near-unanimous vote, with only one lawmaker, a Democrat, in opposition.
The law, similar to those passed in a growing number of other states, requires that users seeking to access pornography online in the state verify that they are at least 18 years of age.
Also, like in many of the other states with such laws, the legislation prompted leading “adult” industry website PornHub to altogether block access to their site in Texas rather than comply with the new verification requirement.
In the current case in front of the Supreme Court, pro-pornography interest group the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) sued Texas, alleging that the child protection law violates First Amendment rights.
On its website, FSC describes itself as a “trade association for the adult industry,” and its mission is “to protect the rights and freedoms of” the industry.
