Since the Supreme Court's decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, more state age verification laws have been introduced around the United States, as well as at the federal level and in other countries.

Going Nationwide: The SCREEN Act

The SCREEN Act would make site-based age verification of users seeking to access adult content a federal law, according to XBIZ. It is now part of a suite of online safety bills that legislators are trying to fast-track. As a federal law, it would generally preempt state AV laws, and the amended version of the SCREEN Act even includes a section specifically affirming the proposed federal rule's primacy.

About half of all U.S. states currently have AV laws on the books. If the SCREEN Act becomes law, its provisions will supersede those state laws. The bill is awaiting consideration by the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The Return of ‘Health Warnings’

State legislators have introduced several bills that would put a legislative stamp of approval on age verification regulations imposed in Missouri by the state's attorney general, according to XBIZ. Some of those bills would require adult sites to post notices warning users of alleged physical, mental and social harms associated with pornography.

HB 1839, SB 901, SB 1346 and SB 1412 all contain the same provision and are currently awaiting co-sponsorship or committee assignment in their respective chambers. These bills would effectively codify the health warnings requirement that was previously imposed unilaterally by the Missouri attorney general.

International Developments

The AV-TEST Institute, a leading authority on IT security testing and certification, has released several reports on VPNs and other online safety measures. In 2025, the institute commissioned a report on Kaspersky's Premium VPN, which found that it provided strong protection against malware and phishing attacks.

AV-TEST also conducted a comprehensive test of various VPN services in 2024, including Norton's VPN, which was found to have some security vulnerabilities. The institute has been at the forefront of online safety research and testing for many years, providing valuable insights to manufacturers and policymakers alike.

Key Facts

  • The SCREEN Act would make site-based age verification a federal law in the United States.
  • About half of all U.S. states currently have AV laws on the books.
  • The amended version of the SCREEN Act includes a section affirming the proposed federal rule's primacy over state laws.
  • Several bills have been introduced in Missouri to codify health warnings requirements for adult sites.
  • AV-TEST has released several reports on VPNs and online safety measures, including a comprehensive test of various VPN services in 2024.

The introduction of the SCREEN Act and other age verification laws at both the state and federal levels is likely to have significant implications for the adult industry. As policymakers continue to grapple with issues related to online safety and regulation, it remains to be seen how these developments will shape the future of the industry.