LOS ANGELES—The Free Speech Coalition, a trade group representing the adult entertainment industry, today announced its support for a device-based age verification measure proposed by state lawmakers in the North Dakota legislature.
The following statement was published on the FSC’s blog:
Yesterday, a bicameral coalition of North Dakota legislators introduced SB 2380, a device-based age-verification bill that would enable adult websites to block minors from accessing their content while protecting the privacy and security of adult consumers.
Unlike the age-verification laws passed in other states, North Dakota’s bill requires the manufacturers of internet-enabled devices and operating systems to determine the age of the device’s primary user and provide a digital signal to inform websites whether that user is a minor. Adult websites would be required to block access to users identified as minors, label their websites as restricted to adults, and provide a disclaimer that the site contains mature content.
“We’re pleased that North Dakota legislators have put forward this common-sense solution to age-verification that protects adults and children alike,” says Free Speech Coalition Executive Director, Alison Boden. “The online adult entertainment industry overwhelmingly supports this approach because it gives them the tools to ensure that minors cannot access their content without sacrificing the privacy of adults.”
Device-based age-verification does not require consumers to expose their personal identity or browsing habits to age-verification companies or governments and cannot be circumvented using simple workarounds such as VPNs.
