Current:Home > FinanceNorth Carolina legislature cracks down on pornography sites with new age verification requirements-InfoLens
North Carolina legislature cracks down on pornography sites with new age verification requirements
View Date:2024-12-23 10:45:46
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Legislature has passed a bill requiring age verification of viewers for websites that publish material considered harmful to minors as lawmakers worked long hours this week to to pass a state budget and other pending proposals.
The legislation, which passed the Senate and House Thursday with overwhelming bipartisan support, would require any company that intentionally distributes sexually explicit material to verify that the viewer is 18 years or older by using a commercially available database.
It now heads to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who could sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature. The strong bipartisan support indicates it will likely become law.
Companies are prohibited under the bill from retaining identifying information about an individual once they’ve been granted access to the website. The legislation also allows the parent of a minor to sue a company that violates the law by allowing their child to access sexually explicit material.
Any adult whose personal information is retained by one of these websites also has grounds to sue.
Similar age verification requirements passed by other state legislatures have had varied success in court.
A federal judge struck down a Texas law requiring age verification and health warnings to view pornographic websites earlier this month and blocked the state attorney general’s office from enforcing it. The judge agreed with claims that the law violated free speech rights and was overbroad and vague.
In Utah, a state law requiring adult websites to verify the age of their users remains in effect after a federal judge in August dismissed a lawsuit from an industry group challenging its constitutionality. The judge said noted the law doesn’t direct the state to pursue or prosecute adult websites and instead gives Utah residents the power to sue them and collect damages.
Sen. Amy Galey, an Alamance County Republican who introduced the North Carolina proposal, said age verification is an important tool that the state should be using to protect children.
“Moms and dads across the state of North Carolina are striving to protect their children from online predators in a number of different ways by monitoring their child’s use, by putting parental controls on their electronics,” Galey said during floor debate Thursday. “This will give them another important way where they can work to keep their children safe.”
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Missouri prosecutor says he won’t charge Nelly after an August drug arrest
- Coal mine accident kills 3 in northern China’s Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region
- Dwayne Johnson to star in Mark Kerr biopic from 'Uncut Gems' director Benny Safdie
- Illinois State apologizes to Norfolk State after fan shouts racial slur during game
- Wicked's Ethan Slater Shares How Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Set the Tone on Set
- Australia cricketer Khawaja wears a black armband after a ban on his ‘all lives are equal’ shoes
- Why is Draymond Green suspended indefinitely? His reckless ways pushed NBA to its breaking point
- Amazon won’t have to pay hundreds of millions in back taxes after winning EU case
- Record-setting dry conditions threaten more US wildfires, drinking water supplies
- Carbon monoxide leak suspected of killing Washington state college student
Ranking
- Homes of Chiefs’ quarterback Mahomes and tight end Kelce were broken into last month
- Discovery inside unearthed bottle would’ve shocked the scientist who buried it in 1879
- Watch: Rare blonde raccoon a repeat visitor to Iowa backyard, owner names him Blondie
- Amazon won’t have to pay hundreds of millions in back taxes after winning EU case
- Daniele Rustioni to become Metropolitan Opera’s principal guest conductor
- Far-right Polish lawmaker Grzegorz Braun douses menorah in parliament
- Roger Goodell responds to criticism of NFL officials for Kadarius Toney penalty
- What I Learned About Clean Energy in Denmark
Recommendation
-
Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Veterans Day? Here's what to know
-
Hiker rescued after falling 1,000 feet from Hawaii trail, surviving for 3 days
-
Retail sales up 0.3% in November, showing how Americans continue to spend
-
'Shameless': Reporters Without Borders rebukes X for claiming to support it
-
Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
-
Ben Roethlisberger takes jabs at Steelers, Mike Tomlin's 'bad coaching' in loss to Patriots
-
Right groups say Greece has failed to properly investigate claims it mishandled migrant tragedy
-
Guyana and Venezuela leaders meet face-to-face as region pushes to defuse territorial dispute