Indiana, Ohio AGs File Amicus Brief in Support of Texas AV Law

Indiana, Ohio AGs File Amicus Brief in Support of Texas AV Law

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, along with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and officials from 22 other states, on Friday filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law.

The law, HB 1181, is being challenged by a group led by the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) in the case Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for Jan. 15. 

Indiana is one of many states that have enacted laws requiring adult sites to verify the ages of users. In March, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 17, which took effect in August. Critics of the bills argue that they are ineffective in preventing minors from viewing adult content and unconstitutional in that they impinge on the rights of adults to access protected speech. Pornhub has repeatedly blocked access in states with AV laws, stating that this is the only way it can comply with such laws. 

The brief argues that “states have undisputed power to restrict minors’ access to obscene content, including pornography,” and that age verification laws are merely a “modest regulation of the multi-billion-dollar pornography industry, which inflicts harm on children along every dimension—psychological, social, emotional, neurobiological, and sexual.”

Industry attorney Corey Silverstein told XBIZ that he “respectfully disagrees” with the AGs’ argument.

“It is disappointing that these elected officials seem to have overlooked foundational constitutional principles,” he said, adding that he hopes local lawmakers will await the Supreme Court’s decision in FSC v. Paxton before enacting similar legislation.

In January 2023, Louisiana became the first state to enact a law requiring age verification by porn websites. Utah, Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas quickly followed. This year saw Montana, North Carolina, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Alabama, and Oklahoma join the list, with Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina scheduled to do so next year.

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

Arcom to Expand AV Enforcement to Smaller Adult Sites

The president of French media regulator Arcom revealed on Thursday that the agency plans to escalate its enforcement of age verification rules to include smaller adult sites, starting in late 2025 or early 2026.

AEBN Publishes Report on MILF, Cougar Trends

AEBN has published a report on MILF and Cougar categories from its straight theaters.

Pornhub to Shut Down Access in Arizona Over Age Verification

Aylo will geoblock Pornhub across Arizona starting Sept. 26, when the state’s age verification law, HB 2112, goes into effect.

Flirtback Launches Zcash Crypto Payment Solution

Creator platform Flirtback has launched its Zcash (ZEC) crypto payment solution.

Vixen Media Group Appoints Samuel Spencer as President, COO

Vixen Media Group (VMG) has named industry veteran Samuel Spencer as its new president and chief operating officer.

French Telecoms Mogul Ignites AV Firestorm With Free VPN, Sarcastic Tweet

French billionaire Xavier Niel, founder of telecommunications giant Iliad, sparked a heated debate this week when he appeared to admit that the company's Free Mobile wireless carrier integrated no-cost VPN into its service specifically to circumvent age verification restrictions on adult content.

UPDATED: Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Taliban Restricts Access to Adult Content by Shutting Down Internet

The Taliban has shut down internet access across a large portion of Afghanistan in a move to prevent what it deems "immoral activities."

Go.cam Adds Video Spoofing Protection for AV

Go.cam has announced that its verification solution now features security against video spoofing.

SexLikeReal Releases 'VR Self-Care' Guide

SexLikeReal (SLR) has published a blog post spotlighting “VR Self-Care.”

Show More