The Supreme Court announced today that it will hear a challenge to Texas' law mandating age verification for adult websites to prevent underage access. Oral arguments for Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton are expected later this year.

The American Principles Project (APP) has been a leading advocate for the adoption of age verification laws. Alongside Texas, 18 states have enacted similar legislation, and comparable bills have been introduced in Congress.

APP President Terry Schilling issued a statement following the Supreme Court's announcement:

"The explosion of online pornography use has reached epidemic levels in our country—and has been especially damaging to our kids. The evidence of its destructiveness on the health and well-being of both individuals and society as a whole is overwhelming. That’s why the laws passed by state legislators in recent years to protect kids online is so important. After allowing this toxic industry to grow unregulated for so long, action was necessary.

"There should also be no question that these laws are constitutional. They fulfill a compelling state interest of shielding children from obscenity, and they do so while merely requiring adult websites implement the same technology used by other industries—such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling sites—to prevent underage use of these products. The idea that the First Amendment allows pornographers free access to our kids is as absurd as it is dangerous, and we are confident the Supreme Court will agree."