Washington, DC (January 5, 2023) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) said all pornography sites must follow Louisiana’s new law requiring implementation of age verification, to help prevent children from accessing online pornography.
“Louisiana’s new law to require age verification in order to access online pornography is a commonsense measure that will better protect children from the harms of pornography. We urge all online pornography sites to comply with the new law,” said Dr. Eleanor Gaetan, vice president and director of public policy for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“The negative effects of pornography on children are real and include low self-esteem, hyper-sexualization, and engaging in harmful behaviors. Other studies show that pornography exposure is a tool in grooming and those exposed are more vulnerable to assault and predatory acts.
“Our laws have long held those who distribute harmful material to minors liable for any harm they cause, and the internet should not be different. Just as one must show an ID to enter an adult bookstore or theatre, one should have to demonstrate he or she is an adult to access online pornography.
“Further, online pornography sites like XVideos, XHamster, Pornhub, and OnlyFans have allowed filmed child sexual abuse, rape, sex trafficking, and other non-consensual explicit material on its websites—material that normalizes criminal activity.
“The Louisiana law recommends digital identity technology that the state has already established, among other age verification methods, so the requirement is not at all burdensome. The verification process is easy, accessible, and very private. The fact is, most websites already have and use technology that identifies a user’s age and uses that data for marketing purposes, so this does not burden businesses either. We hope more states will follow Louisiana’s lead and implement age verification to better protect children from the harms of pornography.”
Louisiana’s age verification law builds on resolutions passed by the state legislature five years ago acknowledging the significant harms of pornography exposure to children and to public health in general.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
