SCOTUS in support of age verification for online pornography

Institute for Family Studies Research Backs the Win

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, UNITED STATES, June 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Free Speech, Inc. Coalition v. Paxton, 606 U.S 2 (2025)

Today the United States Supreme Court published an opinion in Free Speech Coalition v Paxton. The Court upheld that the Texas law requiring pornography websites to verify the ages of their users was constitutional. This is a huge victory for common sense, America’s children, and families.

It is also a huge victory for the Institute for Family Studies who provided much of the research and policy that informed this legislation, working in coalition with a number of key partners.

The New York Times recognized our pivotal role in this effort; and so did Bloomberg, which described our work as having “turbocharged the national debate over protecting youth online.” In 2024, the Heritage Foundation awarded IFS and EPPC a joint Heritage Innovation Prize for our work on this issue.

Michael Toscano, Director Family First Technology Initiative, IFS, who has led these efforts on behalf of IFS says:

“Today, a new internet was born. The Court has finally confirmed that lawmakers can use their authority to stop Big Porn from abusing our kids. We are grateful for this ruling. Our children desperately needed it.”

Carter Skeel, Executive Director, the Institute for Family Studies, said:

“We are grateful to the Court. America should be the best place in the world to start and raise a family, and this is one step closer toward realizing that goal. We are honored to have been part of a coalition from across a political spectrum to achieve this result. ”

Free Speech Coalition v Paxton has paved the way for a federal solution to publisher’s responsibility to ensure only adults access adult-content. The SCREEN Act, sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), would do just that.

NOTES

INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES PARTNERS:
*Center for Renewing America
* Ethics and Public Policy Center
* Family Policy Alliance
* National Center on Sexual Exploitation
* American Principles Project

RESEARCH PUBLISHED BY IFS THAT SUPPORTED POLICYMAKERS:

Clare Morell, Adam Candeub, Jean Twenge, and Brad Wilcox, Protecting Teens from Big Tech: Five Policy Ideas for States (Institute for Family Studies and Ethics and Public Policy Center, 2022)

John Ehrett and Clare Morell, Age Verification: Policy Ideas for States (Institute for Family Studies and Ethics and Public Policy Center, 2023)

Jason S. Carroll, Jonathan Haidt, Jean M. Twenge, Brad Wilcox, and Brian J. Willoughby Brief of Social Science Scholars as Amicus Curiae, at Free Speech, Inc. Coalition v. Paxton,__ U.S __ (2024)  

Jason S. Carroll, Brian J. Willoughby, Brad Wilcox and Michael Toscano,  Unprotected From Porn: The Rise of Underage Pornography Use and the Ways it is Harming Our Children (Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institute, 2025)

Michael Toscano, “Online Age Verification Laws Are a Bet Worth Making,” Newsweek, March 1, 2024

Adam Candeub, Clare Morrell, Michael Toscano, “Age Verification for Porn Sites is Constitutional – and Necessary,” National Review, March 24, 2024

Adam Candeub, Clare Morrell, Michael Toscano, “Vindication for Age Verification by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals,” Family Studies, March 15, 2024

Adam Candeub, Clare Morrell, Michael Toscano, “The First Amendment Protects Kids from Big Tech,” Family Studies, October 9, 2023

CONTACT: CHRIS BULLIVANT

Christopher Bullivant
Institute for Family Studies
media@ifstudies.org