**Free Speech and Privacy Under Attack: The Rising Challenge of Age-Verification Laws**
*Updated: Jan. 16, 2025, 11:25 a.m. EST*
*Originally published in March 2023, this article has been revised to account for changes during Donald Trump’s second presidential tenure, the recent Supreme Court arguments, and refreshed legal perspectives. It features both original interviews from 2023 and new findings.*
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In recent years, the realm of online free expression has encountered numerous obstacles, ranging from the proposed [TikTok prohibition](https://mashable.com/article/when-will-tiktok-get-banned) to the [demise of net neutrality](https://mashable.com/article/net-neutrality-dead-fcc-court-ruling). With Donald Trump currently in his second presidential term and the conservative [Project 2025](https://mashable.com/article/how-adult-performers-feel-about-trump-harris-project-2025) gaining momentum, the outlook for a free and transparent internet in the U.S. appears increasingly precarious. A concerning development is the emergence of age-verification laws, mandating that users validate their age to access adult material—or, in some instances, even social media platforms. Experts caution that these laws threaten digital privacy, free speech, and accessibility online.
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### What Are Age-Verification Laws?
In 2022, Louisiana implemented [Act 440](https://legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1289498), which requires users on websites featuring more than 33.33% adult content to verify their age through a commercial age-verification system (AVS), such as a government-issued identification. The law took effect on Jan. 1, 2023, paving the way for a series of similar laws across the U.S.
As of early 2025, age-verification laws have been enacted in 18 states, including Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Utah. However, some legislation, like Tennessee’s, faces legal challenges that keep it blocked. Georgia’s law, [SB 351](https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/66023), is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2025. The Free Speech Coalition, representing the adult industry, has been monitoring these laws via a [detailed database](https://action.freespeechcoalition.com/age-verification-bills/).
On Jan. 15, 2025, the Supreme Court heard arguments in *[Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton](https://mashable.com/article/free-speech-coalition-v-paxton-age-verification-hearing)*, a case contesting Texas’s age-verification law. The Court’s ruling, anticipated this summer, will likely establish a precedent for similar regulations nationwide.
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### Project 2025 and the Call for Age Verification
[Project 2025](https://mashable.com/article/trump-divides-adult-content-industry-he-also-might-ban-it), a conservative policy agenda for Trump’s second term, pushes for an outright prohibition of pornography and the prosecution of adult content producers. Russell Vought, a key figure in the project and Trump’s choice for leading the Office of Management and Budget, has characterized age-verification laws as a “back door” effort to achieving this aim.
In a clandestine recording acquired by *The Intercept*, Vought elaborated, “We devised a plan regarding pornography that places liability on the adult entertainment companies for any underage use… The porn company will then respond by saying, ‘We’re pulling out of your state.’ Which is precisely what we sought to accomplish, right?”
This approach has already shown effects: [Pornhub has restricted access](https://mashable.com/article/pornhub-blocked-states-2025) in 17 states where age-verification laws are in place.
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### The Dangers of “Porn Passport” Laws
While these laws are ostensibly intended to safeguard children, experts contend they are counterproductive and come with serious drawbacks.
#### 1. **Inefficacy and Workarounds**
Age-verification laws prove notoriously challenging to enforce. Websites based outside the U.S. frequently disregard these regulations, and users can readily circumvent restrictions using tools like [VPNs](https://mashable.com/roundup/best-vpns). For instance, soon after Louisiana’s law came into effect, a [Reddit user](https://www.reddit.com/r/Louisiana/comments/102zcly/does_vpn_bypass_pornhub_age_verification/) queried whether a VPN could bypass the restrictions. The leading reply? “Absolutely. Simple enough for a five-year-old to manage.”
#### 2. **Privacy Concerns**
Jason Kelley, associate director of digital strategy at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, cautions that no age-ver