Censorship
Jury Reaches Mixed Verdict in Backpage Owner, Execs Trial
The jury in the federal retrial in Arizona of former Backpage.com owner Mike Lacey and some of the company’s executives reached a verdict Thursday, finding Lacey guilty on one count of international concealment money laundering.
Sen. Mike Lee Introduces Bill to Expand Utah's Anti-Porn AV Law Nationwide
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Tuesday reintroduced his proposal for a federal age-verification law that would expand Utah’s anti-porn legislation, promoted by religious conservatives, to the entire United States.
FSC Releases Statement on Latest 5th Circuit Decision in Texas AV Injunction Case
Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement about the ongoing litigation against Texas' anti-porn age verification law, which mandates propaganda labels on adult websites.
German Proposal Aims to Shut Down Financial Services for Adult Sites
German authorities have introduced a proposal to facilitate network blocks against adult sites deemed to have inadequate age verification systems, and also to prohibit financial institutions from providing payment services to those sites.
Omegle Shut Down as Part of Civil Lawsuit Settlement
Video chat platform Omegle was shuttered earlier this week, reportedly as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit brought on behalf of a woman who met an alleged abuser through the service when she was a minor.
Washington Post Links Trump Campaign With Plan to Criminalize All Porn Creators, Distributors
The Washington Post published on Monday an in-depth report linking the current Trump presidential campaign with “Project 2025,” a coalition of conservative organizations whose road map for the next Republican presidential administration includes a call to immediately outlaw all pornography and imprison people who produce and distribute it.
Chinese Tech Mogul Held by Authorities Over Alleged Adult Content on Video Platform
Chen Shaojie, founder and CEO of DouYu — China’s leading video streaming platform — is being held by Chinese authorities over supposed “pornographic content” on the site.
Biblically Inspired Alabama Legislator to Introduce Copycat Anti-Porn Legislation
A religious conservative lawmaker in Alabama revealed Monday that she intends to introduce a copycat age verification bill as soon as the state legislature’s 2024 session begins.
Texas AG Ken Paxton Files Motion to Dismiss FSC Lawsuit Over Mandatory Labeling
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday filed a partial motion to dismiss the lawsuit by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and other plaintiffs against the state’s controversial age verification law, which mandates that adult websites post anti-porn propaganda.
Ugandan Police Arrest 7 Women Suspected of Making Adult Content
Ugandan police this weekend arrested seven women suspected of producing adult content.
Bloomberg Law Report Links 'Addiction' Lawsuits Against Meta, Age Verification Battles
Bloomberg Law published a report on Thursday, linking the onslaught of federal and state lawsuits against Meta over the supposed addictive nature of Instagram and Facebook with the anti-porn “age verification” controversies around the country.
UK's Controversial 'Online Safety Bill' Becomes Law
The U.K.’s controversial Online Safety Bill received royal assent Thursday and became law.
Cambodian Police Stage Mass Arrest of Alleged Porn Producers
Cambodian police on Tuesday arrested more than 30 Chinese nationals in Phnom Penh, charging them with producing adult content, which is illegal in the country.
Spain's Far-Right Vox Party Now Pushing for Mandatory 'Porn Filters'
Spain’s influential far-right Vox party has begun pushing the Madrid legislature to mandate default “porn filters” on devices accessible to minors.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson Vowed to Push Anti-Porn Legislation
The new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, elected Wednesday by his GOP colleagues after a weeks-long stalemate, last year vowed to promote anti-porn, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-sex-education legislation if he ever had the authority.
Woodhull Freedom Foundation to Hold Online Events on Censorship, Obscenity
The Woodhull Freedom Foundation is set to host a series of three online events focusing on art censorship in the current environment.
Out-of-State Religious Conservative Activists File Brief Supporting Anti-Porn Texas Law
An extreme-right Virginia attorney with Trump links, acting on behalf of an obscure organization led by a Colorado-based religious conservative activist and former child actor, has filed a lengthy brief in a federal appeals court in Texas, supporting the state’s controversial new age verification and mandatory labeling law.
X Now Shadow-Banning Users for 'Potential' Sexual Content
X.com users have begun reporting instances of Elon Musk’s new shadow-ban transparency policy, under which accounts are flagged by the company without user input for “potentially” containing sensitive media.
German Media Regulator Moves Forward With Block of Pornhub, Other Tube Sites
Germany's federal media regulator has initiated steps to order a block of Pornhub, YouPorn and MyDirtyHobby, escalating the country’s war against online adult content over age verification, a campaign which has been largely spearheaded by a single local bureaucrat.
France's Parliament Passes Controversial Law to Regulate Online Content, Including Adult
The French National Assembly, the country’s lower chamber of parliament, on Tuesday passed the controversial Law Aiming to Secure and Regulate the Digital Space, which includes provisions targeting adult content added during a period of relentless media attacks and panic-mongering against the porn industry.