Wall Street Journal Covers 2257 Battle

WASHINGTON — In a lengthy article published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, staff reporter David Kesmodel details the controversial legal battle between the adult industry and the federal government’s U.S.C. 18 § 2257 record-keeping laws.

Although the record-keeping regulations have been of major concern to many in the adult community, mainstream press have given the bill scant attention over the past year, despite the fact that many in the adult world say overregulation — from 2257 and other proposed bills — would effectively shut them down.

In his article, Kesmodel writes about the Free Speech Coalition’s ongoing legal battle on behalf of the adult community and speaks with several webmasters who say their businesses already have suffered because of the bill. Quoting Mark Prince at webcam company 2much Internet Services, Kesmodel writes that several “performers have quit over privacy concerns since their information could be shared with other adult sites.”

Kesmodel goes on to highlight AEBN’s Scott Coffman’s frustration with the law. Now only has Coffman spent more than $300,000 trying to get his online retail site to comply with 2257, he says several filmmakers simply refuse to give up actor information. The end result: only about half of AEBN’s 40,000 films have complete records.

“I don't see how me and another 10,000 sites storing the records helps,” Coffman is quoted as saying. “The only records I'm storing are what the manufacturers are giving me.”

Citing Wall Street Journal policy, Kesmodel could not speak with XBiz as to why the paper chose to cover the 2257 issue.

The full text of his article can be read here.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2026 XBIZ Miami Conference Schedule Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full show schedule for XBIZ Miami, set to take place May 11-14 at the Goodtime Hotel in South Beach.

Court of International Trade Rejects Trump 'Replacement' Tariffs

The U.S. Court of International Trade on Thursday ruled that President Trump’s 10% global tariff under the Trade Act of 1974, imposed after the Supreme Court invalidated the administration’s broad “Liberation Day” tariff regime, is illegal — but stopped short of a nationwide injunction against the tariff.

UPDATED: Utah VPN Rule Enforcement Paused in Aylo Lawsuit

Provisions of a new Utah law making adult websites liable if minors in the state circumvent geolocation efforts to bypass age verification, which were set to come into force on Wednesday, have been put on hold until Sept. 3.

JustFor.fans Launches 'JFF Create' iPhone App

JustFor.fans (JFF) has launched its new iPhone creator management app, JFF Create.

ShootXEvents Joins ASACP as Media Sponsor

ShootXEvents has signed on as an in-kind media sponsor for the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

Pornhub Unblocks UK Users on iOS Devices, Citing Apple AV Effectiveness

Pornhub parent company Aylo on Tuesday announced that users in the United Kingdom will once again be able to access the popular site if they are using Apple devices and have confirmed their age through Apple’s U.K. age-verification process.

North Carolina Weighing Tax on Brick-and-Mortar Sales of Adult Material

The North Carolina state legislature is considering a bill that would impose a new 10% tax on adult material sold by physical retailers in the state.

FSC Launches 'Know Your Rights' 1st Amendment Resource Page

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has launched "Know Your Rights," a resource page detailing First Amendment protest guidelines.

Utah VPN Rule for Adult Sites Takes Effect This Week

A new law in Utah comes into force Wednesday, making adult websites liable if minors in the state circumvent geolocation efforts to bypass age verification.

UPDATED: Court Approves Class Action in Labor Claims Against VMG

A U.S. district court has granted class certification in a civil lawsuit filed against Vixen Media Group (VMG) by retired performer Kenzie Anne, making it possible for additional performers to join in a class action against the company.

Show More