Arizona Enacts Law Mandating Age Verification for Online Pornography to Protect Minors

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2112, a law requiring pornography websites with a significant amount of adult content to implement reasonable age verification methods to ensure users are 18 or older, without storing or sharing identifying information. Failure to comply could result in penalties up to $10,000 per day and $250,000 if minors access pornography due to noncompliance, with parents given the ability to sue offending companies. The law, supported by bipartisan lawmakers and advocacy groups like the Center for Arizona Policy, aims to protect children from early exposure to explicit content and holds the adult industry accountable. Similarly, Nebraska passed Legislative Bill 383, mandating parental consent and age verification for social media accounts for minors under 18, with fines for violations, and banning AI-generated sexually explicit content involving children. These legislative actions reflect a growing national trend to regulate online adult content and social media access to protect minors from harmful exposure and exploitation. However, some of these laws face legal challenges concerning free speech and privacy rights.