FSC: Thousands of Alabamians Call for Repeal of AV Law

LOS ANGELES—Adult industry trade group the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announces that a wave a citizens in Alabama have urged the state to revoke the law that took effect there at the beginning of this month requiring that adult entertainment platforms on the internet verify the age of users. The FSC's announcement follows: Since the implementation of Alabama’s new age verification mandate on October 1st, thousands of Alabamians have contacted Gov. Kay Ivey and other legislators, demanding they repeal the law. According to data from the Free Speech Coalition’s Defend Online Privacy portal, Alabamians have sent over 5,000 messages to their state officials since the law took effect.  HB 164 mandates age verification for all visitors, the display of a pseudoscientific “public health warning” and a 10% tax on the gross revenue of any company that operates an adult website. Additionally, adult performers who appear in commercially-distributed content must have their model releases signed by a notary. “Alabamians are right to be outraged,” says Alison Boden, Executive Director of Free Speech Coalition. “They, like all Americans, should be able to access the internet without sacrificing their privacy. We share their anger and hope that Alabama’s elected officials will listen to their constituents and repeal HB 164.” DefendOnlinePrivacy.com is FSC’s 50-state portal that connects voters affected by age-verification laws with their legislators. Platforms that block a state in response to an age verification statute can reroute their traffic to the portal to explain their decision and let those affected by these laws turn outrage into action.