AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday filed lawsuits against the parent companies of Chaturbate and xHamster, claiming they are not following the state’s controversial age verification law.
Paxton filed the two lawsuits in Travis County, claiming the companies “are not doing enough to prevent those under the age of 18 from viewing adult content,” according to local NBC station KXAN. reported. News of the lawsuit was first marked to the adult community by industry attorney Corey Silverstein via his mailing list.
Paxton’s lawsuit against xHamster states that “the age verification methods used by Defendant on its websites are completely indefensible and completely fail to meet the requirements of Chapter 129B.
“Minors can simply click anywhere on the web page except the ‘I am 18 or older’ button, including the ‘X’ in the top right corner of the message, to close the pop-up message and proceed to the pornographic message of the suspect. website,” the lawsuit alleges.
The state is asking the court to pay xHamster a civil penalty of up to $1.67 million, plus $10,000 per day since the lawsuit was filed, KXAN reported.
Paxton’s lawsuit wants Chaturbate to pay $1.78 million, along with the $10,000 per day for each day after the filing.
AG Enforcing a law written by his wife and their minister
As XBIZ reported, Paxton filed a lawsuit against Aylo last month, alleging that the company violated Texas’ HB 1181, which at the time of that lawsuit also required adult websites to post a “health warning” banning religious anti- porn propaganda myths are perpetuated. .
Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled on HB 1181, overturning a lower court’s injunction against enforcement but striking down its “health warning” provisions, which it said unconstitutionally forced speech .
HB 1181 was passed by the Texas Legislature in May 2023 and is a greatly expanded version of Louisiana’s age verification law and its many copycats. At the time, the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) condemned the law – along with similar laws passed in Louisiana, Utah, Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Montana – as “blatantly unconstitutional” and a “violation of creators’ First Amendment rights.” consumers and platforms.”
In August 2023, FSC filed a legal complaint in Texas over HB 1181, which remains pending even after the 5th Circuit ruling vacating the injunction. A series of mature platforms and employees joined FSC as co-plaintiffs, including MG Premium LTD; MG Freesites LTD (now Aylo Companies); Web Group Czech Republic, AS; NKL Associates, SRO; Sonesta Technologies, SRO; Sonesta Media, SRO; Yellow production SRO; Paper Street Media, LLC; Neptune Media, LLC; Mediame SRL; Midus Holdings, INC.; and Jane Doe, an adult content creator.
Paxton missed the earlier phase of the trial because he was impeached by a bipartisan coalition in the Texas Legislature for corruption and temporarily replaced as AG. He was later acquitted after several Republicans who had initially voted for impeachment voted in his favor during his impeachment trial.
The action against Chaturbate appears to be the first attempt by state authorities to target a cam site, following a slew of statements from proponents of the state laws openly admitting that the law targeted Pornhub as its primary target.
The Texas age verification law was authored by Paxton’s wife, Senator Angela Paxton. Reportedly with input from a pastor at her megachurch, Pastor Mike Buster of Prestonwood Baptist Church.
Angela Paxton has repeatedly taken ownership of the law her husband enforces, celebrating Aylo’s forced decision last week to block access to Pornhub in the state by posting on X: ‘My bill created an age verification requirement for online pornographic websites in Texas to protect minors from accessing their harmful content. After persistently fighting it, the porn industry is being forced to comply with the law.”