The Texas law aimed at blocking children from accessing online pornography has sparked a debate in the Supreme Court. More than a dozen states have similar laws to prevent young individuals from viewing explicit material online. The law requires age verification measures, which some argue may infringe on adults’ free speech rights. The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-entertainment industry trade group, contends that the law could impact adults by requiring them to submit personal information online.
The Supreme Court justices expressed openness to the law but raised concerns about its potential impact on adults. The Free Speech Coalition argues that the law is overly broad and could also apply to other content beyond explicit material. They suggest that content filtering is a more appropriate solution to address the issue of children accessing pornography online. Some justices questioned the lower court’s application of a legal standard in determining the constitutionality of the law.
The case is expected to be decided by June, and it could have implications for other states with similar laws. The Texas law imposes fines of up to $10,000 per violation by a minor, a penalty that could be raised significantly. The Supreme Court may send the case back to the lower court for further consideration, following the Biden administration’s position on the matter. The debate continues as technology has made access to online pornography more prevalent among young children and teens.
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