Bill Advances to Fine Porn Sites that do not verify users’ ages
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Pornography websites that do not require their users to verify their age in Louisiana, e.g. by uploading their license, could face fines of $5,000 per day based on a bill filed in the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers in the House of Louisiana overwhelmingly approved the measure Monday and sent it to the Senate for consideration. The legislation would allow the attorney general to investigate and fine pornographic websites that fail to comply with the state’s recently enacted age verification law.
“Today, in preparation for this bill, I went to one of the largest non-compliant porn sites so I can tell you exactly what age verification non-compliance looks like. With just one click, I was able to access hardcore pornography depicting incest, sexual assault, rape and underage sex on the landing page alone,” said Rep. Laurie Laurie Schlegel, the Republican who supported the bill.
The bill accompanies a law that went into effect earlier this year requiring adult websites to screen their visitors with “appropriate age verification”. The new law applies to websites where at least a third of their content consists of pornographic material deemed “harmful to minors”.
Certain adult sites, including Pornhub, began using LA Wallet — which can hold a copy of a Louisiana resident’s digital driver’s license, as well as vaccination records, virtual court dates, and hunting and fishing licenses. LA Wallet’s system simply tells a third-party verification company whether the user is at least 18 years old or not, The Advocate reported.
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Schlegel, who also sponsored last year’s law, said she created the legislation to “protect children from the dangers of online pornography.”
While people can sue companies that don’t comply, Schlegel said her new legislation aims to affect websites that have “simply flouted” the law.
“I know a lot of you have heard me say, ‘That’s not your daddy’s playboy,’ but damn it. That’s not even the hustler you hid under your bed… what we’re discussing today is hardcore pornography that’s just a click away from our kids,” said Schlegel, who is a sex addiction therapist.
Those skeptical of the bill expressed privacy concerns and fears of initially broad language. But at the end of the debate, most lawmakers settled on the bill, which passed 101-1. The only dissenting vote came from Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry. Legislation goes to the Senate, which is assigned to a committee for further consideration.
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