LEXINGTON, KY – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in Free Speech Coalition v Paxton. In a 6-3 decision, the High Court allowed states to continue to enforce their age verification laws, which protect children from the harms of pornography.
The Family Foundation and over 30 of our state allies joined an amicus brief in support of Texas’s age verification law, and the Family Foundation’s legal counsel, Jesse Green, attended the oral arguments earlier this year.
Statement from David Walls, Executive Director of The Family Foundation:
“This important ruling ensures that Kentucky can continue to protect kids from the evil effects of online pornography. We are thankful for the efforts of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to defend Texas’s law and for the work of the General Assembly on Kentucky’s age verification law to protect the children of our Commonwealth. Brick and mortar stores must verify the ages of those who enter their premises, and online sources should be no different.
“Age verification laws are only the first step in fighting back against the plague of pornography. States have a duty to shield children from the massive porn and social media industries that should be protecting kids rather than profiting from them. The Family Foundation will continue to support further efforts to ensure Kentucky citizens, especially children, are protected from harm online,” Walls concluded.
At least 24 states, including Kentucky, have passed age verification laws, which require adult websites to verify the ages of their users before granting access to their content. The Family Foundation supported the unanimous passage of HB 278 in 2024. As a result of HB 278, Pornhub, the world’s largest distributor of adult content, cut off access in Kentucky.
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The Family Foundation is the leading Christian public policy organization in Kentucky and stands for Kentucky families and the Biblical values that make them strong. Learn more at kentuckyfamily.org.
