INDIANAPOLIS WXIN— A federal judge has given the green light for an Indiana law that requires adult websites to verify users’ ages.
In June, a judge had blocked the law, but on Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed that decision. The court noted that the law is very similar to a Texas law that went into effect in April after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block it.
We see no reason why Texas’s law can be enforced while Indiana’s cannot,” the ruling stated, adding that similar laws should be treated the same until the Supreme Court makes a final decision.
Critics, including the judge who first blocked the law, argue that it may violate the First Amendment. However, supporters like Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita believe the law could help protect minors from viewing inappropriate material.
Court documents also noted that these age verification tools could allow parents to control what their children see online, though they admitted that the system isn’t perfect. Filters might block content that doesn’t need to be restricted, and tech-savvy children could find ways around them.
In a post on X, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana said, We’ll keep saying it: We can make the internet safer for minors without undermining the constitutional rights of adults.