Pornography websites must now verify user ages after Arizona governor signs bill into law

PHOENIX — Arizona law will soon require pornography websites to verify a user’s age before granting access.

Gov. Katie Hobbs signed it into law on Tuesday amid a slew of legislative actions.

The law will require websites where more than one-third of the content is pornographic to use “reasonable” age verification methods to ensure that users are at least 18 years old.

Republican State Rep. Nick Kupper, who sponsored House Bill 2112, said the law will hold adult websites responsible if they fail to protect children.

“Arizona families have had enough,” Kupper said in a Tuesday announcement. “Hardcore pornography has been just one click away from kids for too long, and the companies behind it have looked the other way while cashing in.”

How will new Arizona law on pornography websites work?

The new law mandates that websites must use reasonable age verification methods that don’t store or share personal information.

Additionally, the law sets groundwork for parents to take legal action if their child accesses pornography online.

The verification can be through a digital ID or other commercial methods as long as they don’t store or transmit identifying data.

Pornographic websites that fail to adequately protect children could face civil penalties of up to $250,000 if a failure to verify age enables a minor to accesses adult content.

Multiple other states have passed similar legislation, although not without facing lawsuits arguing that the requirements violate free speech rights ensured by the First Amendment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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