The Supreme Court will hear a case on Texas’ anti-porn law, which critics argue infringes on free speech.
Washington: So, the Supreme Court is diving into this Texas law about pornography. It’s a big deal because it’s all about balancing free speech and protecting kids online.
Texas is one of many states trying to keep kids away from adult content. Some sites, like Pornhub, have even shut down in those states because they can’t meet the new rules.
The state argues that this law is crucial to stop kids from stumbling upon explicit material on their phones. They want to shield kids from some pretty graphic stuff.
But here’s the catch: the Free Speech Coalition says this law is overreaching. They believe it puts adults at risk by forcing them to share personal info online, which could be hacked.
They agree kids shouldn’t see porn, but they worry the law is so broad it might even affect educational content or movies with simulated sex scenes. Plus, it doesn’t really tackle how people find porn through search engines.
Vera Eidelman from the ACLU pointed out that this is about how the government can control speech it doesn’t like. She mentioned that porn often highlights bigger free speech issues.
This isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has dealt with this. Back in 1996, they shot down parts of a law aimed at keeping explicit material away from kids. And in 2004, they ruled against another law but said less strict measures were okay.
Texas claims technology has come a long way since then. They say it’s now easier to verify ages online, similar to how stores check IDs, which the Supreme Court backed in the 1960s.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Texas, allowing the age verification to move forward. The Supreme Court also turned down a request to pause this law while the legal battle continues.
Other states like Tennessee, Arkansas, and Utah have similar laws. If someone breaks the Texas law, they could face fines up to $10,000, or even $250,000 if a minor is involved.
Some of this info came from Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville.
