Texas Senate Passes Bill Requiring Age Verification To Access Pornography Sites
By Movieguide® Contributor
The Texas Senate just passed a bill requiring age verification on pornography sites in an attempt to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content.
The bill, HB 1181, would require any online platform that contains pornographic material to verify with ID that users are 18 or older. The sites would not be able to retain any ID information from the users.
HB 1181 has been passed on to Texas Governor Greg Abbott for approval. If passed, Texas would become the fifth state that has passed legislation that protects children from pornographic content.
Utah, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas have all passed bills that require ID age-verification to access sites with pornographic content.
According to Exodus Cry, the average age for children exposed to pornography is 7 to 13 years old.
“Exposure at such a young age undermines their social, emotional, and cognitive development, harming their brain development and toxically affecting their sexual templates for years to come,” Exodus Cry stated in an Instagram post.
Movieguide® has previously reported on the concerning prevalence of pornography among young people in America:
As technology becomes increasingly integrated into children’s lives, pornographic material is easier to find, even unintentionally, and the rate of pornography use among teens continues to grow.
A 2022 study found that 73% of teens ages 10 to 17 consumed online pornography—a number that has nearly doubled since 2014.
Movieguide® has frequently reported on the insidious nature of online pornography. As Dr. Baehr writes in The Media-Wise Family,
“As the internet grew from being merely a service for sending text data by modem into the primary video delivery method for the mass media of entertainment, its use for spreading pornography has become ubiquitous. The quantity, and high definition quality of, pornography has exploded.”
This 2022 study explored the pornography habits of teenagers in America. While it found that most teens (73%) have consumed pornography, only 44% had ever done so “on purpose,” while 58% had encountered pornography accidentally.
How do so many teens accidentally come across pornographic material? Of the 58% who reported accidentally encountering pornography, 51% said they encountered it “via clicking a link, search engine result, an online ad, or on social media in some way.” Another avenue is through a friend or classmate showing it to them, an event that 23% reported occurring.
Engaging in conversation with one’s children about the dangers and detrimental effects of pornography can answer questions teens may have before they look for them on their own and stumble across pornographic material accidentally.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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