Should porn websites require age verification to view adult content?

Utah may follow Louisiana’s lead by requiring residents who want to access pornographic websites to verify their age first.

A person in Louisiana must provide information from a driver license or other government ID to prove they are old enough to view explicit content online. Utah state Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, says he wants to implement a similar system to keep minors from accessing pornography online, which is illegal in Utah.

“This would be no different from other companies who require age verification to purchase other products online,” Weiler says.

The Republican is quick to point out that age verification is the responsibility of each website — the Utah government won’t be collecting or storing any personal information. However, the Louisiana bill has raised some privacy concerns by requiring consumers to turn over personal information to a third-party website.

“I can’t think of a day I haven’t had to turn over some of my personal information online. This would require private companies to jump through some hoops to ensure minors can’t access hardcore pornography,” Weiler said.

Utah was the first state to declare pornography a public health crisis, passing a resolution authored by Weiler in 2016. Louisiana lawmakers used a similar rationale to pass their legislation that went into effect on Jan. 1.

The legislation is in the drafting stages, and Weiler says he still is trying to work out some of the details. He also acknowledges whatever lawmakers end up passing won’t be a cure-all. Tech-savvy internet users could easily get around any such restriction.

“A lot of laws get circumvented. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pass them. We pass speed limits knowing people will still speed. Some laws are more aspirational,” Weiler said.

In 1997, Congress passed the Child Online Protection Act, which required pornographic websites to restrict minors’ access to content. The law was struck down after it was found unconstitutional.