🚨 Policy pressure around adult platforms and sex work has continued to build over the last 7 days. Here are the 5 biggest developments adult creators should know about this week: 1️⃣ Federal Age Verification Bill Moves Forward in Congress The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the KIDS Act. The bill includes the SCREEN Act, which would require adult websites to deploy age verification nationwide. Violations could trigger FTC penalties up to $10,000 per violation. If enacted, it would replace the patchwork of state AV laws with a federal standard. Industry attorneys warn states could still pursue lawsuits under other legal frameworks. 2️⃣ Pornhub Restricts Access in Australia Australia’s new age verification rules take effect March 9. In response, PH parent company Aylo confirmed its free tube platforms will restrict access to adult material in the country. Users will see a limited “safe for work” experience instead. Regulators can impose fines of up to $35 million per violation. 3️⃣ Ohio Advances Age Verification “Redo” Bill Ohio lawmakers advanced House Bill 84, a revised AV law designed to close a loophole tied to Section 230 protections. The new version removes criminal penalties but introduces civil fines of up to $100,000 per day for noncompliance. The bill is expected to move forward with little opposition. 4️⃣ UK Parliament Moves to Ban Step-Family Adult Content Categories Amendments to the UK Crime and Policing Bill would prohibit step-family and other taboo content categories. The legislation also introduces a provision allowing performers to withdraw consent at any time. Producers and platforms would have 24 hours to remove content after a request. Industry lawyers warn the rules could reshape the UK production environment. 5️⃣ Online Safety Act Driving Traffic to Unregulated Porn Sites New data suggests UK age verification rules are shifting user behavior. Major adult sites have reportedly lost significant traffic while smaller sites without age checks have grown rapidly. Some platforms launched after the law took effect saw traffic increase more than 300%. Researchers warn users may encounter more extreme or illegal material on unregulated sites. The last 7 days reinforce a clear, continuing pattern... Age verification laws are expanding. Enforcement is tightening. Platforms are adjusting access strategies across different regions. Which development do you think will shape the industry the most over the next year? Share your thoughts below.

🚨 Age verification laws are escalating fast...and the last several days prove it. We’re no longer talking about simple ID checks. • We’re talking felony charges. • Private lawsuits. • VPN crackdowns. • And multi-million dollar fines. Here’s what happened in just the last 7 days: 1️⃣ Tennessee: Felony-Level AV Law Under Fire The @FSCArmy refiled its complaint challenging Tennessee’s age-verification law. Why? Because violations can carry felony charges up to 15 years in prison. FSC argues the law goes far beyond what the Supreme Court allowed in Texas and creates extreme liability for platforms and creators. This case could determine how far states can go with criminal penalties. 2️⃣ Minnesota Advances New AV Bill Minnesota lawmakers are backing HF 1434, requiring “commercially reasonable” age and identity verification for adult sites. The bill would: • Create a private right of action for parents to sue • Empower the Attorney General to enforce • Authorize approved AV software providers Religious conservative groups are strongly backing it. Very little opposition testimony so far. 3️⃣ Missouri House Advances AV Bills Unanimously Missouri’s House committee voted 17-0 to combine and advance three AV bills. Sites with 33% or more adult material would be required to verify users are 18+. The legislation also requires warning labels and prohibits retaining identifying data after verification. There's a lot of bipartisan momentum behind these bills. 4️⃣ Wisconsin Pulls Back on VPN Blocking...For Now Wisconsin’s AV bill moved forward, but lawmakers removed language requiring sites to block VPN traffic. That’s significant. Some states are now trying to regulate anonymizing tools themselves, arguing users bypass AV laws with VPNs. When laws shift from “verify age” to “block privacy tech,” it's not difficult to see it's about infrastructure-level digital control. 5️⃣ UK: Ofcom Issues Largest Fine Yet Under Online Safety Act Ofcom fined an adult site operator £1.35 million for failing to implement robust age checks. An additional £50,000 fine was issued for refusing to provide information. Daily fines may continue until compliance. The bigger pattern: • Criminal penalties are increasing • Private lawsuits are being built into statutes • VPN and anonymity tools are being targeted • Regulators are actively issuing record fines The age verification wave swells larger every week. For adult creators, this affects traffic, platform stability, compliance costs, and geographic access. And it’s accelerating. Which state/country do you think pushes the envelope next? Sound off below👇