I'm a Texan and can't say I'm particularly a fan of the state politics or the current US Supreme Court, but at the same time, I can't say that this law particularly bothers me. I don't have children, and so I don't know if I can really understand what parents are dealing with in trying to ensure that their children are kept away from undesirable material, but it does seem rather difficult; I certainly don't envy them.
You already have to show ID to see rated-R movies in the US. I don't see how this is any different.
Eric_WVGG · 1m ago
The movie theater doesn't keep a database of who's been watching their movies.
freeone3000 · 34s ago
Why don’t they?
ceejayoz · 19m ago
So how broad is this?
Can a state now require you to verify your age and identity to read a newspaper they don't like?
giarc · 9m ago
Not unless that newspaper is "more than one-third sexual material".
twobitshifter · 2m ago
This seems pretty easy to get around through either lorem ipsum or inflated pizza related dialogue.
AshamedCaptain · 3m ago
Wanna bet what the ratio is for e.g. Reddit?
lupusreal · 8m ago
Huh, I think old playboy magazines might actually be under that one third.
vel0city · 11m ago
Let me start off saying I'm not a fan of this law. I don't think these requirements are workable with current technology, and I don't necessarily agree with the goals or that the goals are worth the side effects of the regulations.
> Can a state now require you to verify your age and identity to read a newspaper they don't like?
Most states have laws in place that regulate the sale and distribution of pornography and other "obscene" materials. This has been true for a long, long time. So yes, states have had the ability to require you to show ID to get a "newspaper" they don't like, assuming that newspaper is actually just pornography/obscenity. I don't think most people would argue Pornhub are news sites though.
This will just drive people to non-compliant foreign sites. They just killed their own adult industry, who is gonna take their business and taxes elsewhere
dragonwriter · 6m ago
I don't think the big-business adult industries is particularly present in Texas, and the independent creators who are in Texas leaving if they are able or being forced out of work if not is probably an active goal of Texas politicians.
TriangleEdge · 10m ago
I think your assumption that Texas cares about its porn industries is incorrect. Pornhub is a Canadian company. Afaik it's the #1 porn site, I could be wrong. I assume if they don't comply, their DNS host will be blocked in Texas. Registries of porn sites are readily available. (I use them in my hosts file blocking). So, my guess is that the likely step will be block all of them until they prove they have ID enforcement.
rayiner · 6m ago
> They just killed their own adult industry, who is gonna take their business and taxes elsewhere
Excellent.
josefresco · 17m ago
Someone in this chain of corruption probably owns a VPN company or another entity benefitting (short term) from this ban.
rendleflag · 16m ago
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
kirubakaran · 10m ago
You have to adjust your priors at some point though, right?
Fool me once, shame on my prior.
Fool me twice, shame on my posterior.
Can a state now require you to verify your age and identity to read a newspaper they don't like?
> Can a state now require you to verify your age and identity to read a newspaper they don't like?
Most states have laws in place that regulate the sale and distribution of pornography and other "obscene" materials. This has been true for a long, long time. So yes, states have had the ability to require you to show ID to get a "newspaper" they don't like, assuming that newspaper is actually just pornography/obscenity. I don't think most people would argue Pornhub are news sites though.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30441276
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25418862
Excellent.