North Dakota AV Taking Effect, FSC Continues to Fight Tennessee AV, Legislative Wins For Sex Worker Safety and more...
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The Latest at FSC
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AV Alert: North Dakota
North Dakota’s HB1561 ( [link removed] ) will go into effect next *Friday, August 1*. North Dakota’s law is enforced by a private right of action (civil lawsuit). Members should be advised that laws in three other states — Georgia, South Dakota, and Wyoming — went into effect on *July 1*. More information on these laws can be found at the FSC Action Center ( [link removed] ).
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The Fight Against Tennessee's AV Law Continues
FSC's challenge to the Tennessee age-verification law, which requires consumers reverify every 60 minutes, continues. The Supreme Court's ruling in Free Speech Coalition v Paxton "is no death knell in this litigation." Read more on Bloomberg Law. ( [link removed] )
Legal Updates
Age Verification Laws Taking Effect
A new wave of state-level age verification laws are taking effect in the U.S. this summer and fall, continuing the legislative push to force adult websites to adopt invasive identity verification systems.
*Starting August 1* , websites that publish or distribute adult content must comply with *North Dakota’s* new AV requirements. Three more states will follow:
• *Missouri – August 30*
• *Arizona – September 26*
• *Ohio – September 29*
*Visit* *FreeSpeechCoalition.com* ( [link removed] ) to learn more, or take action against harmful AV laws through our *Action Center* ( [link removed] ).
Legislative Wins For Sex Worker Safety
Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) recently celebrated major legislative victories in New York and Rhode Island, advancing protections for sex workers and survivors of trafficking.
In New York, lawmakers unanimously passed an immunity bill (A1029-B/S3967-B) that protects individuals from prosecution when they report crimes or seek help — a critical step toward making emergency services safer and more accessible.
In Rhode Island, three new laws were enacted to expand immunity protections, reduce criminalization, and prioritize harm reduction. These bills reflect years of organizing by advocates, survivors, and public health experts working together to shift policy in a more compassionate direction.
These wins show what’s possible when policymakers center the rights, health, and safety of sex workers.
Learn more at DecriminalizeSex.Work ( [link removed] )
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Industry News
Sex Workers Are Being Abducted By ICE -- And Abandonded By Respectability Politics
In recent months, ICE has ramped up raids targeting immigrant sex workers, detaining women in massage parlors across the U.S. with little public outcry or support from mainstream immigrant rights organizations. Advocates warn that migrant sex workers are being used as testing grounds for surveillance, entrapment, and deportation tactics that will be expanded to other marginalized communities. Read more on Truthout. ( [link removed] )
Australian Anti-Porn Group Claims Responsibility For Steam's New Censorship Rules In Victory Against 'Porn Sick Brain Rotted Pedo Gamer Fetishists', And Things Only Get Weirder From There
Collective Shout, an Australian anti-porn group, has claimed credit for a wave of adult game removals on Steam following a campaign pressuring payment processors to cut ties with platforms hosting sexually explicit content. Valve confirmed the decision was made in response to pressure from companies like Visa and PayPal. The episode raises serious concerns about payment processor censorship and the growing influence of anti-porn groups on digital platforms. Read more on PC Gamer. ( [link removed] )
Reddit Now Requires UK Users To Upload A Selfie Or ID To Access Adult Content
As of July 14, Reddit now requires UK users to upload a selfie or government ID to access adult content, in compliance with the UK’s Online Safety Act. The platform partnered with third-party provider Persona to carry out the verification, citing pressure from regulators to go beyond basic age gates. Civil liberties groups warn the law sets a dangerous precedent for online privacy and could lead to similar restrictions in other countries. Read more on Tech Spot. ( [link removed] )
Steam And Itch.io Are Pulling 'Porn' Games. Critics Say It's A Slippery Slope To More Censorship
Steam and Itch.io have begun removing or deindexing adult-themed games following pressure from payment processors and campaigns by the Australian anti-porn group Collective Shout. Developers say the sweep has impacted award-winning titles — including queer and feminist work — that don’t contain explicit content, raising alarms about financial censorship and the silencing of marginalized creators. Advocates warn this sets a dangerous precedent for payment processors to dictate what art and speech are allowed online. Read more on Wired. ( [link removed] )
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