Justice Clarence Thomas delivered an earth-shattering blow in the Texas pornography law case.
Industry giants believed they could keep the system rigged in their favor.
They figured their army of high-priced lawyers could bulldoze past any state trying to protect children.
But Donald Trump just got the best news that sent these Texas smut peddlers into total panic.
Supreme Court demolishes porn industry’s legal challenge
In a monumental 6-3 decision on Friday, the United States Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow to the pornography industry by upholding Texas’s age verification law for adult websites.²
The ruling marks the first time the high court has imposed requirements on adult consumers to protect minors from accessing sexually explicit material, and it’s sending shockwaves through the adult entertainment industry.³
Justice Clarence Thomas authored the majority opinion that found "the power to require age verification is within a State’s authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content" and represents "a constitutionally permissible exercise of that authority."¹
The Texas law requires websites where more than one-third of content is "sexual material harmful to minors" to have all users submit personally identifying information verifying they are at least age 18 to gain access.
This isn’t just about one state anymore.
Texas is one of 24 states that have enacted age verification laws to protect children from online pornography, and Friday’s ruling establishes a powerful legal precedent that will allow even more states to follow suit.⁴
Liberal justices rage as conservative majority protects children
The Court’s three liberal justices were absolutely livid about the decision to prioritize children’s safety over the porn industry’s profits.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote an ugly 23-page dissent that was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, accusing the majority decision of "diluting First Amendment protections for sexually explicit speech."⁵
Kagan called the majority’s opinion "confused" and claimed it was "at war with itself."⁶
But the liberal justices’ fury only proves how desperately they want to shield the pornography industry from any accountability.
Kagan argued that the age verification process was too burdensome, writing: "It is turning over information about yourself and your viewing habits—respecting speech many find repulsive—to a website operator, and then to…who knows?"⁷
Translation: Kagan thinks protecting children from violent pornography is less important than making it convenient for adults to access explicit content.
Exodus Cry celebrates historic breakthrough after four-year battle
The organization at the forefront of this legal victory, Exodus Cry, has been fighting this battle since 2021 when they launched their "Protect Children Not Porn" campaign.
Helen Taylor, Vice President of Impact at Exodus Cry, didn’t mince words about the significance of Friday’s ruling.
"We are witnessing history," Taylor declared. "This ruling affirms what we’ve always known: the rights of children must come before the profits of porn companies."⁸
She delivered a devastating assessment of what the internet has become for America’s youth: "For far too long, the internet has served as an unfiltered pipeline of violent and degrading content to our nation’s youth. Today, that begins to change."⁹
The Supreme Court even referenced Exodus Cry’s comprehensive research in their ruling, noting the disturbing reality of what children can easily access online.
As documented in the Court’s opinion: "Pornhub, one of the websites involved in this case, published 1.36 million hours… of new content… Many of these readily accessible videos portray men raping and physically assaulting women."¹⁰
That’s the content liberal justices want to keep easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
Porn industry’s legal strategy crumbles completely
The Free Speech Coalition, a trade association representing the adult entertainment industry, thought they could intimidate Texas into backing down.
They were wrong.
The industry argued that requiring age verification violated adults’ free speech rights and placed "content-based burdens" on accessing pornographic material.
But Justice Thomas destroyed their argument, writing that "adults have the right to access speech obscene only to minors … but adults have no First Amendment right to avoid age verification."¹¹
The Court applied what’s known as "intermediate scrutiny" rather than the highest standard of review the porn industry wanted, and Texas’s law sailed through the constitutional test.
Thomas explained that the law "advances important governmental interests unrelated to the suppression of free speech and does not burden substantially more speech than necessary to further those interests."¹²
Major websites already fleeing states with age verification laws
The porn industry’s panic is so intense that major websites are abandoning entire states rather than comply with basic age verification requirements.
Pornhub, one of the world’s busiest websites, has stopped operating in several states, including Texas, citing the technical and privacy hurdles in complying with the laws.¹³
That tells you everything you need to know about their priorities.
These websites would rather lose millions of users than implement simple safeguards to prevent children from accessing violent and degrading content.
As Dani Pinter from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation explained: "Virtually no pornography website restricts minors" and many "don’t do anything at all" beyond asking users to "click a box that says you’re 18 or older."
That pathetic system has been the "protection" for America’s children for decades.
Texas Attorney General celebrates crushing victory
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wasted no time celebrating this monumental win for families across America.
"This is a major victory for children, parents, and the ability of states to protect minors from the damaging effects of online pornography," Paxton declared in a statement.¹⁴
He delivered a direct message to the porn industry: "Companies have no right to expose children to pornography and must institute reasonable age verification measures."¹⁵
Paxton made it clear that Texas won’t back down: "I will continue to enforce the law against any organization that refuses to take the necessary steps to protect minors from explicit materials."
This is exactly the kind of leadership parents have been desperate to see from their elected officials.
Trump’s America First agenda claims another massive victory
This Supreme Court ruling represents yet another vindication of President Trump’s commitment to putting America First and protecting our nation’s children.
While the Biden administration actually submitted an amicus brief in support of overturning the law, Trump’s judicial appointments have consistently stood up for traditional American values.¹⁶
The six conservative justices who upheld Texas’s law understand that protecting children from exploitation isn’t about limiting free speech – it’s about basic human decency.
As Utah Governor Spencer Cox celebrated on social media, this ruling represents a "big win for protecting kids online."¹⁷
Nationwide implications will transform internet safety
The ruling sets nationwide precedent for lower courts reviewing legal challenges to laws in other states, meaning the 24 states that have already passed similar legislation now have the Supreme Court’s backing.
The decision could pave the way for more states to adopt similar laws as one of several steps to prevent children from being exposed to pornography, according to child safety advocates.
States that have been waiting to see how the constitutional challenge played out can now move forward with confidence.
Some lawmakers are already discussing federal legislation that would implement age verification requirements nationwide.
The era of treating the internet like the Wild West when it comes to protecting children is finally coming to an end.
This Supreme Court decision proves that when conservatives fight for what’s right, they can achieve victories that seemed impossible just a few years ago.
The pornography industry spent millions trying to stop this common-sense protection for children.
They lost spectacularly, and America’s families are the winners.
Sources:
- CBS News, "Supreme Court upholds Texas law on age verification for porn sites," June 27, 2025
- NPR, "Supreme Court sides with Texas age verification law for porn sites," June 27, 2025
- CNN Politics, "Texas porn age verification law upheld by Supreme Court," June 27, 2025
- US State age verification laws for adult content, AVPA, May 20, 2025
- SCOTUSblog, "Court allows Texas’ law on age-verification for pornography sites," June 27, 2025
- The New Republic, "Elena Kagan Torches Supreme Court’s Terrible Logic in Porn Ruling," June 27, 2025
- 19th News, "Supreme Court clears the way for increased age verification for porn sites," June 27, 2025
- Exodus Cry Press Release, "HISTORIC WIN: U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Age Verification Law to Protect Children from Porn," June 30, 2025
- Ibid.
- Reuters, "US Supreme Court backs Texas online porn age-check law," June 27, 2025
- Associated Press, "Supreme Court upholds Texas law aimed at blocking kids from seeing pornography online," June 27, 2025
- CBS News, "Supreme Court upholds Texas law on age verification for porn sites," June 27, 2025
- NBC News, "Supreme Court upholds Texas adult website age-verification law," June 27, 2025
- Texas Tribune, "Supreme Court: Texas can force porn websites to verify ages," June 27, 2025
- Ibid.
- Texas Tribune, "Supreme Court: Texas can force porn websites to verify ages," June 27, 2025
- Deseret News, "Why did the Supreme Court let states verify ages for porn sites," June 27, 2025
