The Supreme Court Could Decide the Fate of Pornhub – and the Rest of the Internet

The Supreme Court Could Decide the Fate of Pornhub – and the Rest of the Internet

The Supreme Court is poised to make a landmark decision that could reshape the internet as we know it. In a recent oral argument, the justices grappled with the constitutionality of a Texas law that mandates age verification for websites with significant sexually explicit content. This case, FSC v. Paxton, centers around Texas House Bill 1181, which requires online platforms hosting a substantial amount of adult content to verify user ages and display health warnings about the purported harms of pornography. While the stated goal is to protect minors, the law has ignited a fierce debate about free speech rights, the role of government regulation in the digital age, and the very nature of the internet itself. A Clash of Constitutional Principles The core legal battleground lies in determining the appropriate level of scrutiny for evaluating the law's constitutionality. The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, but this right is not absolute. The Supreme …