Oral arguments in Free Speech Coalition v Paxton, the Texas age-verification case, have been scheduled to take place on January 15, 2025 before the U.S. Supreme Court. Free Speech Coalition and co-plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP. The Court accepted the case, granting FSC’s petition for certiorari, in July. Free Speech Coalition filed its merits brief in September. Read more on our blog.

Free Speech Coalition has petitioned the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit for an en banc review of state’s Motion to Dismiss granted by the US District Court and later reaffirmed by the 10th Circuit in Free Speech Coalition v. Anderson, the Utah age-verification challenge. In an en banc review, the legal challenge is heard by the all judges of the 10th Circuit, rather than just the original three-judge panel. Read more on our blog.

Oklahoma’s age-verification law, SB1959, goes into effect on Friday, November 1, 2024. The law can be enforced either through a private civil suits (and class actions) or through legal action initiated by the Oklahoma Attorney General. 

The text of the law can be found here.

The law directs the Attorney General to “develop and publish, consistent with the provisions of this act, guidance or regulations as appropriate to assist commercial entities to comply with this act." We have reached out to the Attorney General’s office to determine if any such guidance or regulations have been developed or published.

In the meantime, platforms accessible in the state of Oklahoma should be aware of the risks and take precautions to protect themselves from potential liability. 

For more information about this and other age-verification laws, check out FSC’s Age Verification FAQ. 

In a major victory for Free Speech Coalition’s fight against age-verification laws, a Montana District Court has denied the state’s Motion to Dismiss, allowing the suit to proceed. The Montana ruling stands in stark opposition to a separate recent decision in Utah, where the state’s motion to dismiss was granted. Read more on our blog.

With Election Day approaching, we’re reminded of the stakes for adult industry professionals, especially with Project 2025 threatening to ban adult content and LGBTQ+ resources nationwide. This initiative could dismantle free speech and criminalize our industry, making this a critical time to vote and advocate for our rights. Now more than ever, we need to participate, get informed, and mobilize to protect our freedoms. Read more on XBIZ.

“In May 2024, a group of organizations and individuals led by the Free Speech Coalition filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction against the enforcement of the law. Per the lawsuit, S.B. 544 ‘operates as a presumptively-unconstitutional prior restraint on speech’ since it requires ‘the use of some particularized approval method as a condition to providing protected expression.’” Read more on Reason.

Progress Action Fund has launched an ad depicting a young man watching porn, only to be interrupted by a fictional Republican congressman informing him that the GOP has banned porn nationwide. The ad, shared by DemCast founder Nick Knudsen, ties Republicans to Project 2025, which includes a roadmap for banning pornography. According to Knudsen, early testing shows that the ad effectively shifts young male voters away from Trump by 3.5 percentage points.  Read more on New York Post.

Australia has introduced a draft industry code that would require adult sites to verify users’ ages or face removal from search results and social media links by 2025. Developed by several digital industry associations, this code would impact not only adult sites but social media, search engines, and gaming companies, with proposed verification methods including ID checks, facial age estimation, and credit card validation. The code will be reviewed after public submissions close on November 22, and enforcement will fall to Australia’s eSafety commissioner, who will have substantial authority over non-compliant sites. Read more on The Guardian.

South Dakota’s legislative committee has endorsed a proposal to require age verification for online pornography access. Inspired by similar legislation in Texas, the proposal would require users to verify age with ID without retaining personal information and is expected to be introduced in 2025. This follows the state Senate’s earlier rejection of a similar measure, prompting further study and amendments to ensure constitutionality and enforceability. Read more on Yahoo News.

A recent survey of over 200 U.S. sex workers shows 74% plan to vote for Kamala Harris, while only 9% support Trump, with others undecided or opting for third-party candidates. Support for Harris is particularly strong among porn performers and strippers, likely due to Trump-aligned policies like Project 2025, which could ban porn. Despite past concerns about Harris’s support of SESTA-FOSTA legislation, many sex workers are more concerned about the potential impact of a Trump administration on their rights and livelihoods. Read more on Mashable.