An Indiana law requiring pornographic websites to verify users’ ages — one of several in effect across the country — is being challenged by an adult entertainment industry association.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from the same group, the Free Speech Coalition, to block a similar law in Texas.
Under the Indiana law, which was signed by Republican Governor Eric Holcomb in March, the state’s attorney general and individuals can take legal action against a website’s operator if material “harmful to minors” is accessible to users under 18 years.
In addition to Indiana and Texas, similar laws are in effect in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia. Supporters of such laws say they protect children from widespread pornography on the Internet, while opponents say the laws are vague and raise privacy concerns.
In the complaint filed Monday, the association says the Indiana law is unenforceable and unconstitutional. The group is asking a federal judge in Indianapolis to issue a preliminary injunction against the law before it takes effect on July 1 and to permanently block it.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita – listed as a defendant in the lawsuit – said in a post on X that he looks forward to defending the law in court.
“Children should not have easy access to explicit material that could harm them,” the post said. “It’s common sense.”
The Texas law remains in effect while the Supreme Court weighs the full appeal of the Free Speech Coalition. Utah’s law was upheld by a federal judge in August, and in October a federal judge rejected an challenge to Louisiana’s law.
