Arkansas Age Verification Bill Amended Over Confusing Language

Arkansas Age Verification Bill Amended Over Confusing Language

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas House approved yesterday an amendment to SB 66, a Republican bill that would require age verification before “entering a website offering pornography,” over confusing language.

SB 66 was introduced in January by state Sen. Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs), who later admitted that his state initiative is only a stepping stone toward the ultimate goal of a federal mandate.

Yesterday, a voice vote in the Arkansas House sent the amended bill back to the Committee on House Rules for further consideration, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported.

Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R-Centerton) told the paper that the amendment was needed “to clarify distinctions between ‘corporate entities’ and ‘third party vendors’ in the bill.”

As XBIZ reported, SB 66 is a copycat version of Louisiana’s Act 440, a new law enacted in January after being championed by a religious anti-porn activist Republican legislator.

Dees’ bill proposes requiring a “digitized identification card” to prove the age of anyone from Arkansas trying to enter “any website with over 23.33% of its material meeting the pornography description.”

The bill also claims that “pornography is creating a public health crisis and contributes to the hyper-sexualization of minors.”

Federal Age Verification As Final Goal

Dees, a poultry plant executive who says he spends his free time in Bible study, told Vice magazine in February that he hoped to “protect children and their innocence in [the] state of Arkansas and then send a message across the country that we need something similar built into federal law as well.” 

The state senator also referred to a supposed “explosion” in the ability of children to access online content.

The Arkansas bill is being promoted amidst what Free Speech Coalition has called a wave of “the most aggressive censorship we've seen in decades” and also includes Dees’ definition of what kinds of material would constitute “pornography.”

Republicans throughout the country are currently seeking to outlaw all adult content by overturning the 1973 “Miller Test” differentiating First Amendment-protected sexual material from illegal “obscene” material produced to appeal to “a prurient interest.”

Main Image: Anti-porn Arkansas State Senator Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs) (Photo: Arkansas Senate)

Copyright © 2025 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

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

MYM Launches New Traffic System

German creator platform MYM has launched a new traffic system for its members.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Eroutique Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Eroutique has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'ADHD-Friendly' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers with ADHD.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

FSC Sets Key Dates, Qualifiers for December Board of Directors Election

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) today announced key dates and qualifiers for its upcoming Board of Directors election.

Show More