Rules designed to make it harder for minors to access online pornography are set to take effect soon.
A new age verification regulation will begin in Missouri on November 30 requiring pornographic websites to block minors from accessing sexually explicit content. The rule will apply to commercial websites and platforms where 1/3rd or more of the content is pornographic or sexually explicit.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, R-Missouri, said in a statement that non-compliance will be considered an “unfair practice” under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, subjecting violators to civil penalties.
“This rule is a milestone in our effort to protect Missouri children from the devastating harms of online pornography,” Hanaway said. “We are holding powerful corporations accountable, respecting women and victims of human trafficking, and helping to ensure that minors are shielded from dangerous, sexually explicit material.”
She also said companies that profit from explicit material must prove their users are adults or they will be “shut out of our state.”
The Missouri Attorney General’s office cites research that claims the average age of first exposure to pornography ranges between 11 and 12 years old.
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