Free Speech Coalition

The right to anonymity is powerful, and America is destroying it Age verification was already risky — now it’s downright dangerous.

“Anonymity was foundational to American liberty — used to persuade the masses and criticize the powerful. Despite its tradeoffs, it’s a right worth fiercely defending.” www.theverge.com/policy/78125...

Michigan bill seeks to ban porn, erotic ASMR, and more Michigan Republican representatives introduce the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act, which would ban adult content and more.

A Michigan lawmaker just introduced a bill to criminalize all adult content online.

It likely won’t move, but it shows the roadmap policing and prosecuting any mention of sex or gender identity online.

The fight for freedom starts with us.
mashable.com/article/mich...

Age-Verification Laws to Take Effect in Arizona and Ohio — Free Speech Coalition Age-verification laws in Arizona and Ohio will go into effect on September 26 and September 30, respectively. Sites accessible in those states should take efforts to comply with these laws in order…

Age-verification laws in Arizona and Ohio will go into effect on September 26 and September 30, respectively. www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/age-ver...

New Missouri AG Sets Official Date for AV Rule AVN Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, announced on Thursday that she has determined the official date for an age verification rulemaking action to enter force.

The Missouri Attorney General announced that the state's age-verification regulations will go into effect on November 30.

avn.com/news/legal/n...

Michael Pratt, GirlsDoPorn Ringleader, Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison Michael James Pratt was sentenced to federal prison on charges of sex trafficking connected to the GirlsDoPorn crime ring. “He turned my pain into profit, my life into currency,” said one victim.

Creating sexually explicit media by force, fraud or coercion isn't "porn" — it's a crime.

In an attempt to evade accountability, Michael Pratt tried to minimize that difference. No one bought it.

www.404media.co/michael-prat...

Join financial consultant @TheBillyGuan.bsky.social and industry veteran @EveBatelle.bsky.social on Tuesday, September 16 at 11am PT for a candid conversation on smart investing, taxes, and the four biggest threats to your financial future in adult work. Register here: tinyurl.com/35depb8m

Free Speech Coalition Appoints Megan Stokes to Board of Directors — Free Speech Coalition Industry veteran Megan Stokes appointed to the Free Speech Coalition Board of Directors.

FSC is proud to announce the appointment of Megan Stokes to our Board of Directors. 🌟

A longtime industry leader and advocate, Stokes brings 20+ years of experience in business development, licensing & creator-first practices.
www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/fsc-app...

We’re thrilled to partner with the @fsc.bsky.social FSC has long been a champion of free expression and a fierce defender of our rights. We’ll gather to have real conversations about suppression, resistance, and how we push back, both on screen and off.

#RESTRICTfilmfest #fsc #FreeSpeechCoalition

The FSC just dropped a game-changing guide to help those with adult websites stay compliant with US age verification laws!

All members can get immediate access to this @fsc.bsky.social toolkit! 👇

Missouri Age Verification Rule Will Not Take Effect August 30th — Free Speech Coalition Missouri’s proposed age verification rule will not go into effect August 30.

Missouri’s proposed age verification rule will not take effect on August 30. The final rules were not published in time, so there’s no enforcement yet. The timeline remains unclear, and FSC will continue tracking the process closely. buff.ly/nNmh5eN

Half of U.S. states now require adult sites to implement age verification — with laws that are confusing, inconsistent, and often impossible to follow.

Today we launched a toolkit to help the industry navigate this patchwork of mandates.

🔗 freespeechcoalition.com/toolkit

I was clearly a bit overly optimistic last week when I thought I'd be able to publish the Age Verification Compliance toolkit I've been writing by today, but it's going through final legal review and will be out next week.
Sign up to get your copy when it drops!
www.freespeechcoalition.com/toolkit

Coming Soon: Compliance with US Age Verification Laws — the state-by-state guide for adult sites.

Clear breakdowns, practical guidance, and easy reference charts all in one place.
📩 Join the waitlist for a free preview: www.freespeechcoalition.com/toolkit

Though we attempted to fight for standing, ultimately the legislature’s evasive gambit proved successful. These are frustrating times, and there are sometimes difficult choices, but it’s critical that we continue to push back when and where we can, to stop even greater restrictions.

Montana’s Online Age Verification Law Survives Free Speech Suit A coalition of educators, writers, and sex-related businesses lost their challenge to Montana’s age verification law for websites that “knowingly and intentionally” distribute “material harmful to min...

FSC’s Montana case has been dismissed for lack of standing. When we first brought the case, state law allowed the Attorney General to enforce it, giving us legal standing to sue. After we filed suit, the legislature passed a new bill removing the AG from enforcement to block the litigation.

Thanks to everyone who came with us to DC, sometimes on little sleep and on their own dime, to fight for access to banking and financial services. And for all those who took surveys and shared stories.

This won't cure everything, but it's a positive sign in a long fight.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will see how this order is effectuated, and what tools are available to the adult community. We'll provide guidance as we're able to understand the true impact of the order on those who work in the adult industry.

For years, FSC has been in Washington meeting with legislators on both sides of the aisle to educate them on debanking and highlighting the ways in which it harms sex workers. While there is still more work to be done, this is a huge victory for all those who fight against financial discrimination.

The order also requires financial institutions to review and potentially reinstate accounts previously closed or denied due to “politicized or unlawful debanking.”

There are also provisions related to ending discrimination in payment processing and peer-to-peer transactions.

Guaranteeing Fair Banking For All Americans By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1.  Purpose.

The White House has issued an Executive Order limiting financial institutions' ability to use “reputational risk” or involvement in lawful industries in restricting financial services.

This is welcome news for anyone who works in the industry and bad news for those who use debanking as censorship.

Coming Soon: Compliance with US Age Verification Laws — the state-by-state guide for adult sites.

Clear breakdowns, practical guidance, and easy reference charts all in one place.
📩 Join the waitlist for a free preview: www.freespeechcoalition.com/toolkit

🚨 Police recovered stolen personal data from hundreds of adult performers, including SSNs & bank info. Think you’re affected? Take these steps to safeguard your identity ⬇️
www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/fsc-ale...

Inside The Mass Call Campaign To Stop Video Game Censorship [Update] - Aftermath Following censorship of adult games on Steam and Itch, people are calling Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Stripe 'round the clock.

FSC's @mikestabile.bsky.social spoke with Aftermath about the ongoing deplatforming of adult games on networks like Steam and Itch, and how censorship groups use bad publicity to get payment processors to do their dirty work.

Debanking and deplatforming is not a new fight for us.

@alisonboden.bsky.social: "Before the ruling in FSC v Paxton, I would have said that the Alabama law is a clear example of selectively taxing adult companies because of their content, and that even a conservative court would strike it down as unconstitutional. In a post-Paxton world... it's unclear”

Alabama Notifying Adult Sites of New Tax Set to Take Effect Sept. 1 The Alabama Department of Revenue has begun sending notices to adult site operators about a new 10% tax on their revenues, set to be enforced starting Sept. 1.

Alabama says it will add a 10% tax to all adult content sales made by residents beginning Sept 1.

Opponents call it unconstitutional attack on speech.

Age Verification in the UK: What You Need to Know — Free Speech Coalition The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act (OSA) went into effect earlier this year, which (among many other things) requires websites (or “services”) that provide adult content to implement age…

Major porn platforms have seen millions of extra age checks per day and a surge in UK VPN use, raising concerns around privacy and effectiveness.

Catch up on what this means for adult sites: buff.ly/eva82SJ

The UK began enforcing the Online Safety Act on July 25. Platforms that host adult content must now implement “highly effective” age verification for UK users or face steep fines.

X under pressure in Ireland over porn age checks Elon Musk’s social media site isn’t complying with the law, media regulator warns.

Ireland’s new Online Safety Code took effect July 21, requiring adult sites and platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and X to use invasive age checks to block “harmful” content.

These laws set a dangerous precedent for our rights online.

AV Law Alert: North Dakota’s HB1561 takes effect Friday, Aug 1. The law allows private lawsuits for noncompliance.

Similar laws are already active in GA, SD & WY.

Get details at the FSC Action Center: action.freespeechcoalition.com/location/Nor...

The Age-Checked Internet Has Arrived Starting today, UK adults will have to prove their age to access porn online. Experts warn that a global wave of age-check laws threatens to chill speech and ultimately harm children and adults alike.

FSC's @alisonboden.bsky.social spoke to Wired about the dangers of an age-gated internet:

“The question isn't whether there will be a data breach connected to age verification, it's when.... And this is all in service of policies that have clearly been shown to be ineffective.”