Pornhub and similar online sites scored a victory when a federal judge struck down a Texas law that required users to verify their age and see health warnings before enjoying lewd material.
The law, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and set to take effect Friday, is overbroad and unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge David Ezra said in his 81-page decision.
Pornhub and other online porn sites scored a victory Friday when a judge struck down an anti-porn law. Shutterstock/burakguler
U.S. District Judge David Ezra has issued a preliminary injunction blocking an anti-pornography law from going into effect. Now the law will have to be litigated. Pornhub and other adult sites fought the law. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT District of Hawaii
The court decision was a legal victory for sites like Pornhub.Shutterstock/burakguler
Pornhub and other sites fought the Texas statute, as well as similar laws in Louisiana, Utah, Mississippi and Arkansas. Violation of Texas law carried fines of up to $250,000.
Ezra issued the injunction blocking enforcement of the law in response to an Aug. 4 lawsuit from a pornography trade association group.
The law could jeopardize users’ privacy because the proposed age verification tool uses a government-issued ID that is traceable, Ezra noted in his ruling.
The state of Texas was stymied in its legal attempt to force users to verify their age before visiting sites like Pornhub. AP
“This is a huge and important victory against the rising tide of online censorship,” said Alison Boden, executive director of the trade association Free Speech Coalition.
“From the beginning, we have argued that the Texas law, and others like it, are dangerous and unconstitutional. We are pleased that the court agreed with our view that [the law’s] The real purpose is not to protect young people, but to prevent Texans from enjoying speech protected by the First Amendment. The state’s defense of the law was not based on science or technology, but on ideology and politics.
Texas will have to wait until this lawsuit is litigated to enforce the law.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn