Many pornography websites aren’t complying with new Va. age verification law

Since a new law went into effect this July, pornography websites in Virginia have been required to more rigorously verify whether a person is 18 or over before allowing them to access adult content.

However, an analysis by the Virginia Mercury shows the majority of these websites are not using age verification methods as mandated.

Additionally, since the law went into effect, data shows that an increasing number of Virginians are using technology that can easily grant access to these websites from locations in the Commonwealth.

The legislation passed the General Assembly on a nearly unanimous vote this March. Bill patron Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, told the Mercury the proposal aimed to curb children’s access to harmful adult content.

Under the law, websites must verify users’ age and identity but can select a specific method of verification, such as requiring users to upload copies of government-issued identification or adopting other unspecified commercial technology. The law also allows people to sue pornographic websites that don’t use proper age and identity verification methods “for damages resulting from a minor’s access to such material.”

While some pornography websites — most notably Pornhub — have opted to block users from accessing their platforms altogether in Virginia in protest of the new law, residents can still easily access adult content through a plethora of unrestricted, lesser-known websites.