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Chaturbate Fined $675,000 for Failure to Verify User Ages
Chaturbate has been hit with a substantial fine of $675,000 for its failure to adhere to a new law in Texas that mandates age verification for all pornographic websites. This penalty comes following a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against Chaturbate, along with other platforms such as Pornhub. The legal action was taken after these sites disregarded the requirement to verify users’ ages using official identification documents like driver’s licenses or passports.
Implementation of Age Verification
As per a report from 404 Media, Chaturbate has now initiated age verification procedures using a third-party company known as Incode. This firm specializes in identity verification and fraud detection, catering to mainstream banking clients as well. While Chaturbate has complied with the law by introducing age verification measures, other adult websites like Pornhub and XHamster have chosen to restrict access to their platforms entirely within the state of Texas.
The Legislative Background
Texas enacted the age verification law, formally referred to as HB 1181, in the previous year. The legislation imposes penalties of up to $20,000 per day for non-compliance, with an additional fine of $250,000 applicable if a minor is found to have accessed explicit content on the platform. Despite facing legal challenges from multiple pornographic websites, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law, enabling its enforcement in the state.
Financial Ramifications and Settlement
Initially, Texas sought a hefty fine of $1.78 million against Chaturbate, representing the 178-day period during which the platform lacked age verification measures after the law took effect on September 1, 2023. However, following negotiations, the fine was reduced to $675,000, which Chaturbate is required to pay within 30 days from the settlement date. Despite attempts to seek a comment from Chaturbate, the company has not issued a response regarding the imposed penalty.
Paxton commended Chaturbate for swiftly implementing age verification protocols just two days after Texas initiated legal proceedings against the company in March. In a press release on Friday, Paxton lauded this move as a positive step towards safeguarding Texas children from exposure to inappropriate content. He urged other adult entertainment providers to emulate Chaturbate’s compliance with the law by adopting similar age verification mechanisms voluntarily.
National Trend of Age Verification Laws
It is noteworthy that Texas is not the sole state to enact legislation mandating age verification for visitors to adult websites. States such as Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia have also implemented laws requiring age verification for users accessing pornographic content online.
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