近年来，美国各地，尤其是南部，纷纷出台年龄验证法案。这些法律通常要求用户在访问包含大量成人内容的网站时，提交年龄证明。今年年初，最高法院审理了一起关于年龄验证法案合宪性的案件，预计将在今年夏季公布裁决结果。与此同时，得克萨斯州也出现了一项关于在线情趣用品销售的年龄验证法案。然而，纽约大学的研究表明，年龄验证法案的实际效果并不理想，部分原因是网站可能规避法规，以及用户可以使用VPN绕过限制。此外，这些法案实际上可能旨在实现对色情内容的全面禁止，而非仅仅保护未成年人。

🧑‍⚖️ 最高法院正在审理Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton案，该案挑战了得克萨斯州的年龄验证法案，其裁决将对全国范围产生影响。

🔞 得克萨斯州还提出了一项法案，要求对在线情趣用品销售进行年龄验证，类似于一些州对色情网站的要求，例如提交政府颁发的身份证件或使用第三方验证服务。

🛡️ 纽约大学的研究表明，年龄验证法案的效果有限，原因包括网站可能不遵守规定，以及用户可以使用VPN绕过限制。

🎯 这些法案的真正目标可能并非仅仅是防止未成年人接触色情内容，而是实现对色情内容的全面禁止，这与Project 2025的目标一致。

Age-verification laws have popped up across the United States in the past few years, especially in the South. Typically, they require people to submit proof that they're an adult if they visit a website where over a third of the content hosted is explicit. In January, the Supreme Court heard a case about the constitutionality of age-verification laws, and its decision will likely come down this summer.

That case, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, began as a challenge to Texas's age-verification law specifically (but SCOTUS's decision will have national ramifications). Coincidentally — or not — a bill calling for age verification for online sex toy sales has just been introduced in Texas, as well.

404 Media first pointed out that Senator Angela Paxton, wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, sponsors this bill. Ken Paxton is the Paxton in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.

The sex toy bill, S.B. 3003, proposes age-verification methods similar to those used by some states for porn sites, such as requiring users to submit a government-issued ID or using a third-party verification service. Violations of this would subject site owners to a $5,000 fee and a misdemeanor charge.

According to a recent study from New York University, age-verification laws don't work. One reason is that if a site isn't based in the U.S., it may not feel the need to comply. Another is that people can use a VPN to pretend to be in another location. Presumably, the same would be true for this bill.

But, as explained in Mashable's rundown of age-verification laws, these laws aren't just about preventing minors from accessing porn sites. They're about reaching the true goal of Project 2025 (the conservative blueprint for Trump's second presidential term), which is an outright ban on porn. One state, Oklahoma, has already introduced a bill to criminalize porn and imprison its creators.

Free speech advocates who have spoken to Mashable in the past say that the best way to actually prevent minors from looking at explicit sites is through device-level filters.