Senate Passes Bill Requiring Porn Sites to Verify Users are 18+

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed a measure requiring pornographic websites to verify that users are 18 or older.

S.B. 66 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) requires pornographic websites to use a digital ID, government-issued ID, or another commercially available age verification process to protect children from pornography.

The measure — which is similar to a law Louisiana recently enacted — passed without any opposition in the Arkansas Senate.

Under this bill, pornographic websites would rely on an ID like an Arkansas driver’s licenses or a third-party ID-verification system to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.

Websites that violate S.B. 66 would be held liable under the law.

Pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems, and in the past 30 years it has become available at unprecedented levels as a result of technology.

S.B. 66 helps address this problem in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives.