The Arizona House of Representatives has approved a new age-verification bill aimed at restricting minors’ access to online pornography. The legislation, introduced by State Representative Nick Kupper (R), now heads to the Arizona Senate for further debate and voting in the coming weeks.

Under the proposed law, pornography websites must verify a user’s age before granting access. The legislation mandates:

• First-party or third-party age verification systems to confirm users are 18 or older.
• Strict data protection measures—websites cannot store any identifying user data.
• Penalties for violations—any website found storing user data faces a $10,000 fine per instance.
• The bill mirrors similar legislation in Texas, which was recently challenged in court.

Kupper, a strong advocate for digital protections for minors, emphasized the importance of shielding children from explicit content.

“We haven’t been on the ball enough to protect them from the dangers of pornography,” Kupper stated.

He also argued that the bill strikes a balance between protecting minors and preserving adults’ rights:

“When it comes to protecting, we have to protect children. You know, children are our most vulnerable population; our most precious population. We have to find a way to do both things—to protect children without violating adults’ inherent rights, and I think that’s what this bill has done.”

Supporters of the bill, like winter visitor Bob Pickett, believe it is a necessary step to prevent underage access:

“I think it’s a good idea. I mean, if you’re under 18, like I said, I don’t condone it anyway at any age, but if that’s what it’s going to be, then yeah, definitely 18.”

However, opponents argue the bill could face constitutional challenges, particularly regarding privacy concerns and First Amendment rights.

If passed, Arizona would become one of many states enforcing age verification laws for adult content websites.

Louisiana, Texas, Utah, and Mississippi have already implemented age verification mandates, with some states facing lawsuits from industry groups.

Major adult sites like Pornhub have blocked access in states where these laws have been enforced.

Federal lawsuits are ongoing, particularly in Texas, where courts have ruled that some age verification laws violate free speech protections.
Next Steps

The bill passed the House in a 44-15 vote and now moves to the Arizona Senate, where lawmakers will decide its fate in the coming weeks.