Virginia Age Verification Law

The age verification law in Virginia was introduced in March by William R. Stanley (R–20th District). These new rules were backed by lawmakers in the Commonwealth almost unanimously. Currently, this law is comparable to one that was just enacted in Louisiana and Utah in May. This means that any website that has 33.3% or more sexual content requires the user to verify their age. Third-party vendors must also confirm the users’ ages.

Companies that offer age-restricted services must implement an age verification system that restricts those under 18 from accessing their content. Commonly, this is achieved by using special AI-powered age verification software that requires users to verify their age using government-issued IDs and biometric verification before granting them access to content. 

A law requiring age verification to view adult content online was recently passed in Virginia. If you want to access websites that provide adult content, as a user, you will have to confirm that you’re at least eighteen years old before accessing the site. 

The goal of this action is to shield children from offensive internet material. Should you wish to visit these websites while residing in Virginia, you will have to go through the age verification procedure.

Users in Virginia can no longer access popular websites such as Pornhub due to this rule. As a result, the general public is trying to find methods around the age verification requirements, and interest in virtual private networks (VPNs) has grown. 

As a response, MindGeek, one of the largest adult content providers, chose to withdraw its services from multiple states instead of complying with regulations, such as Virginia’s age verification requirements. Additionally, the adult industry advocacy group Free Expression Coalition filed litigation, claiming that the new law violates the privacy of those who wish to watch pornography and unfairly discriminates against particular types of expression. 

Critics highlight the balance between protecting minors and upholding people’s rights not to disclose personal information. This is especially common in sensitive industries such as adult or crypto, where raising concerns about privacy dangers and potential legal challenges is common.

However, amendments to Senate Bill 1515 mandated the use of age verification techniques on websites that show “content detrimental to minors,” keeping personal information safe through secure means, such as government-issued ID verification. If a website does not comply, the parents/guardians of a child affected by its content can sue for damages.