Supreme Court confirms Texas law requires age verification for porn access

In a ruling delivered on a Friday in June 2025, the United States Supreme Court upheld a Texas law that mandates any user viewing pornographic websites to verify they are over 18 years old. This legal decision stemmed from challenges mounted by an adult-entertainment industry trade group, which argued that the law imposes unnecessary burdens on adults seeking access to legally available content. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the law along a 6-3 ideological split, asserting that protecting children from sexual exploitation is a legitimate state interest. The majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, emphasized that the age verification law does not fundamentally infringe on the First Amendment rights of adults who wish to access pornography, as it is only aimed at protecting minors. He noted that the verification processes in the law, which can include ID checks and digital verification methods, align with established practices in adult-oriented businesses. The Court recognized the law's intent to shield minors from material deemed harmful, ultimately framing it as a modest burden on adult speech. Dissenting justices, including Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, contended that the law too broadly infringes on adult speech rights. They argued that the law fails to consider less restrictive alternatives to achieve the goal of protecting minors while preserving adults' access to constitutionally protected speech. Kagan articulated that it is vital to protect children from inappropriate content, but she questioned whether the specific measures implemented by Texas are the least intrusive means to achieve that end. Following the ruling, advocates for free speech expressed concerns about the implications for privacy and individual rights, suggesting that age verification protocols could set a concerning precedent. The ruling not only impacts the Texas law but may also influence similar legislation in approximately 20 other states that have enacted age verification laws, raising questions about potential restrictions on content accessibility across state lines. The overall debate reflects broader tensions between the necessity of safeguarding minors and the rights of adults in the context of digital expression and content consumption.