Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 15
24 Groups Urge Congress to Pass Porn Age-Check Bill as 80% of Teens Report Exposure
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 15

24 Groups Urge Congress to Pass Porn Age-Check Bill as 80% of Teens Report Exposure

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 15

Summary

  • Two dozen conservative and pro-family groups pressed all 100 senators to back Sen. Jim Banks’ SAFE for Kids Act, arguing a federal age-verification mandate for pornography sites is urgently needed.
  • 80% of children ages 12 to 17 and 54% of those 13 and younger have been exposed to sexually explicit content, the coalition said, adding that the average first exposure now comes at age 12.
  • Banks’ bill, introduced Tuesday, would require porn sites and other online distributors to verify users’ ages, while giving the FTC enforcement power and the Justice Department authority to investigate intentional violations.
  • Parents and legal guardians could also sue violators under the proposal, which supporters say would replace a patchwork of state laws with a single national standard.
  • The coalition said 81% of voters support a federal age-verification law, as the adult entertainment market was valued at $191.69 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $275.18 billion by 2032.

Insights

How can we protect children online without sacrificing the digital privacy of all internet users?
With OS-level age checks on the horizon, is a future of verified digital identities inevitable?