These laws aren’t achieving their goal of keeping minors off adult sites, but they are negatively affecting creators’ incomes.
Experts have long cautioned that age verification laws would impact people’s work and finances, and early findings suggest they were right. These laws, which differ by state and country, usually require proof of age, such as facial scans or government IDs, to access potentially adult content. Since 2022, various U.S. states have implemented these laws, and countries like the UK have introduced similar measures via the Online Safety Act.
The Woodhull Freedom Foundation found that around 18 percent of sex educators have felt the impact of these laws, with 33 percent affected in states with such mandates. Although the survey sample of about 60 respondents isn’t broad, it highlights the trickle-down effects of age verification.
“Age-verification laws are already impacting sex education in the U.S.,” says Ricci Joy Levy, Woodhull president and CEO. The survey found 73 percent of sex educators fear the laws will affect their work, and 76 percent worry they could limit access to sex education and related resources. Presently, only 37 percent of U.S. states require accurate sexual education, according to Boston University.
Separate research from SWR Data indicates similar trends for adult creators, with nearly half reporting decreased income and two-thirds finding it harder to earn money. Many cite difficulties stemming from the “War on Porn,” which involves efforts to remove adult content online. Project 2025 aims to ban pornography and penalize its creators, with age verification seen as a potential means of restriction.
Surveyed adult creators facing income drops also report increased censorship and restrictions, with fans struggling to access content. In the U.S. and UK, piracy issues arise as viewers bypass age checks.
Studies suggest age verification laws don’t effectively restrict minors from porn sites due to VPN use and visits to non-compliant sites. However, these regulations seemingly harm sex workers and educators instead.