Technology

I can see some benefits to this.

1. nsfw content might now be even more legally protected I the u.s if viewers are defacto 18 or older. You can argue all night if it's moral, but as a varified legal age viewer, no government will show up at the websites door over minors accessing. If you if you don't this this happens look up some of the biggest names cases and questionings and etc directed at these websites.

It might actual get these nsfw a more official standing, as even today these types of sites are seen as small 3rd partys. They don't have apps on Google play. But having these types of things in place might make nsfw sites more likely to get an appstore app in the future.

2. If minors cannot just easily join such a site like these, and upload nsfw content, your content is much more likely to be legal viewing privately in your home.

The ID checks will only make things worse. Like 4 free “tube” sites based in America and that are trying to be mainstream and ad-supported (Pornhub and ????) comply with Louisiana’s current ID check law while the 5,000 sites based anywhere else on Earth don’t give a shit. Most probably don’t even filter for CSAM.

Half the internet is porn. Reddit has porn. There’s a Lemmy instance for NSFW stuff. To imagine they’re going to stop teens from finding smut because the “reputable” site checks ID is just willful naivety.

Also, I realize the goal of the Texas law is to label anything GLBT+ as “porn.” I’m not the naive one in this case. But the arguments in the case aren’t about the hidden agenda of conservatives.

Also, I realize the goal of the Texas law is to label anything GLBT+ as “porn.”

They may not even need to go that far. The age verification laws going around these days tend to require it for content "harmful to minors", not just porn, and everybody knows Republicans think "anything GLBT+" is harmful to minors.