The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, and Quinn Emanuel today filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and other plaintiffs in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, arguing that the age verification provision in Texas’s H.B 1181 violates the First Amendment by improperly burdening adults’ right to access sexual content online. Read more on our blog.

OnlyFans experienced significant growth in 2023, with creator and fan accounts both increasing by 30%. The platform's revenue reached $1.3 billion, up 20% from the previous year, and pre-tax profits rose by 25% to $658 million. Users spent a record $6.6 billion on the site, with non-subscription revenue becoming the largest source of income for creators. The platform’s owner, Leonid Radvinsky, received a $472 million dividend, bringing his total earnings from OnlyFans to nearly $1.3 billion since 2020. Read more on The Guardian.

Adult performers are increasingly concerned about the political landscape as Trump’s ties to Project 2025 and Vice President Harris’ past stance on sex work pose potential threats to the industry. Project 2025, a far-right policy agenda linked to Trump, calls for the criminalization of pornography and could drastically affect the industry if enacted. While some conservative performers view it as a scare tactic, others see it as an existential threat. Meanwhile, Harris’ support of FOSTA/SESTA, which has harmed online sex workers, complicates the political dilemma for performers. Read more on Mashable.

A federal judge temporarily blocked Utah's new law requiring age verification and parental consent for minors to use social media. The judge found that NetChoice, a trade group representing major tech companies, is likely to succeed in its claim that the law violates the First Amendment. The law, which was set to take effect in October, would have required all users, including adults, to verify their age, and minors would need parental consent and face restrictions during a night-time curfew. The judge noted that Utah did not provide enough evidence to show social media use directly causes mental health harm or that the law is the least restrictive solution. Read more on Axios.

Michael Lacey, co-founder of Backpage.com and the Phoenix New Times, surrendered to U.S. Marshals after being sentenced to five years in federal prison for money laundering. Lacey and his late co-defendant, James Larkin, were initially charged with prostitution-related crimes, but prosecutors failed to secure convictions in two trials. Lacey maintains that Backpage operated legally, citing legal advice and cooperation with authorities. Despite the website’s shutdown in 2018, a federal audit found its closure made it harder to track and prosecute online sex traffickers. Lacey describes the case as a "moral panic" that spiraled out of control. Read more on Arizona's Family.

Kamala Harris, as California Attorney General, played a pivotal role in shutting down Backpage.com, the largest online marketplace for sex-related services. Her office was the first to bring criminal charges against the site's founders, framing the case as a fight against human trafficking. While Harris highlights this as part of her tough-on-crime record, critics argue that shutting down Backpage pushed consensual sex work into unsafe spaces and hindered efforts to combat trafficking. As she runs for president, her actions in this case remain a point of contention among advocates for sex workers' rights. Read more on Politico.