Utah’s new law requiring pornography websites to verify the ages of users will remain in place after a judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the law that passed earlier this year.
U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart dismissed the lawsuit that was filed in May by the Free Speech Coalition, a trade group representing the adult entertainment industry.
In his ruling, Stewart said he did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.
The Free Speech Coalition says it will appeal the decision. They believe SB 287 infringes on the privacy and free speech rights of users who must provide government-issued identification to access adult-oriented websites in Utah. The lawsuit also argued the state doesn’t have the ability to verify digital IDs online.
“Utah is attempting to duck responsibility for a dangerous law passed by its own legislature, but make no mistake — the law is unconstitutional. As we’ve seen with Don’t Say Gay, the Texas Heartbeat Act and other attacks on free speech, states are attempting to do an end-run around the First Amendment by outsourcing censorship to citizens. It’s a new mechanism, but a deeply flawed one,” said coalition Executive Director Alison Boden.
Read more about the judge’s ruling at fox13now.com.