Senator James Lankford, R-Okla., has accused Pornhub of ‘preying on children’ in a letter responding to the adult website’s campaign against age-verification laws. Lankford argues that Pornhub is more concerned with protecting its customer base than shielding minors from explicit content.
Opposition to Age-Verification Laws
Pornhub sent a letter to state lawmakers on July 28, criticizing age-verification laws like the one in Florida, one of at least 25 states to enact such requirements. The website claims that these laws are ‘performative, ineffective, and unenforceable’ and that they put everyone at a greater risk of encountering online harm.
Lankford cited research from the American Psychological Association, which indicates that the average age of first exposure to pornography among boys is 13.37 years, with some children reporting exposure as young as 5. He argued that age-verification laws are a necessary step to reduce minors’ access to explicit material.
Protecting Children Online
Lankford highlighted the Supreme Court’s affirmation of age verification laws in Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton, which found that they do not cause an undue burden for adults and that states have a duty to protect minors from pornography. He emphasized that parents face an uphill battle when it comes to protecting their children online and that age verification is one simple step platforms can take to help preserve childhood innocence.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
