Last week, Don't Delete Art (DDA), an initiative run by NCAC that monitors and defends artistic freedom online, published a new resource for artists on the rising trend of age verification (AV) laws sweeping the country.
In the last four years, AV laws have been introduced in many U.S. states with the declared goal of protecting minors (age 17 and under) from online content legally defined as “harmful to minors.” While making the internet safer for young people is an important goal, AV laws are notoriously inconsistent and confusing. They may affect artists who host their own websites and create figurative work depicting the human body, as well as work dealing with themes of health and sexuality.
This new resource explains what AV laws are, how they may affect the online presence of artists and cultural organizations, and what artists and cultural institutions can do to protect themselves from legal risk.
