Austin, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against Aylo, the owner of popular pornography websites including Pornhub, alleging that the company is violating the state’s recently enacted age verification law. The lawsuit filed by Paxton accuses Aylo of failing to implement reasonable age verification measures on its websites, as required by law. The attorney general argues that Aylo’s actions harm Texas children and adolescents.
The state law in question mandates that pornographic websites use measures to ensure that viewers accessing their content are at least 18 years old. Paxton’s lawsuit seeks to compel Aylo to comply with this requirement. The suit further claims that the company’s dissemination of sexual material harmful to minors without adequate age verification methods contributes to the ongoing harm suffered by Texas children.
Asserting the state’s right to protect its children from the detrimental effects of pornography, Paxton emphasized that Aylo, instead of adhering to the law, immediately exposes minors who visit their websites to explicit content. He underscored his commitment to holding any company accountable for violating the age verification laws designed to shield minors from harmful and obscene material on the internet.
Paxton’s suit aims to impose financial penalties on Aylo, seeking up to $1.6 million in payment. This amount, equal to $10,000 per day, would be relevant from mid-September of the previous year until the date of the lawsuit’s filing.
The attorney general’s allegations have prompted interest in Aylo’s response. The Hill has reached out to the company for comment, but no statement has been issued so far.
The legal action against Aylo highlights Texas’ efforts to enforce age verification regulations to safeguard minors from explicit and potentially harmful material online. It also underscores the ongoing debate surrounding the responsibility of pornography companies to protect young audiences. The outcome of this lawsuit could have implications for the adult entertainment industry as a whole, potentially influencing future age verification practices and legal standards.