US

New State Law Requires Government-Issued ID To Watch Porn

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A new Louisiana law went into effect this year requiring individuals who access porn websites to verify their age using government-issued identification.

Republican state Rep. Laurie Schlegel of Louisiana introduced the bill last February requiring commercial porn websites to verify the age of anyone who accesses its material with a government-issued ID, which Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law in June. The bill, which went into effect over the weekend, makes companies who violate the law liable to civil claims while ostensibly prohibiting them from collecting users’ data.

“Pornography contributes to the hyper sexualization of teens and prepubescent children and may lead to low self-esteem, body image disorders, an increase in problematic sexual activity at younger ages, and increased desire among adolescents to engage in risky sexual behavior,” the bill states.

Any company that receives over 33% of its revenue from pornography falls under the constraints of the law, according to the bill. Those who wish to access pornography websites must link their government-issued ID through a third-party verification system and Louisiana’s digital driver’s license platform.

Schlegel is a licensed professional counselor and a certified sex addiction therapist who has worked with patients who suffer from pornography, according to USA Today. The inspiration for the bill came from singer Billie Eilish, who confessed on the Howard Stern Show that porn had been introduced to her at 11 and affected her relationships and mental health.

“I don’t think a lot of parents know what’s on the internet,” Schlegel told USA Today. “It’s just a click away for kids. … I always like to tell people: ‘This is not your daddy’s Playboy.’ What kids are seeing on the internet is extremely, extremely graphic, hardcore pornography.”

Schlegel also voiced hopes that her colleagues in the federal government would consider passing similar legislation.

Hopefully, Congress will be looking at this issue soon. @SenMikeLee recently filed legislation; the SCREEN Act. Age verification is a must to protect children from the dangers of online pornography. Research shows filters are wholly inadequate. https://t.co/HqWP1DHCrN

— Rep. Laurie Schlegel (@RepSchlegel) December 29, 2022

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced the Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act in December. The bill would impose federal age verification requirements for commercial porn websites and enforce fines of up to $25,000 per violation.

Schlegel and Edwards did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.