Can Texas Require Age Verification on Adult Sites?

We the People

National Constitution Center

History, News Commentary, News

4.6 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

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Summary

The Supreme Court will determine whether a Texas law requiring age verification for adult websites violates the First Amendment. Nadine Strossen of New York Law School and Adam Candeub of Michigan State University join Jeffrey Rosen to preview oral arguments in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, examine the text, history, and tradition of the First Amendment, and debate whether the Texas law is constitutional. Resources: Nadine Strossen, Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights (1995, republished 2024) Nadine Strossen, Brief of Amici Curiae First Amendment Scholars in Support of Petitioners, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton Adam Candeub, Amicus Curiae Brief of Scholars in Support of Respondent, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton Adam Candeub, “How the Supreme Court Can Protect Digital Childhood,” Law & Liberty (Jan. 9, 2025) Free Speech Coalition, Brief for Petitioners, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton Attorney General Ken Paxton, Brief for Respondent, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton Judge Jerry Smith, Opinion of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton Ginsberg v. New York (1968) Sable v. FCC (1989) Reno v. ACLU (1997) Ashcroft v. ACLU (2004) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected] Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube. Support our important work. Donate

Transcript

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0:00.0	This week, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton,
0:05.0	a case that will determine whether a Texas law requiring age verification for pornography websites violates the First Amendment.
0:17.2	Hello, friends. I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center,
0:22.3	and welcome to We the People, the weekly show of constitutional debate.
0:26.0	The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit, chartered by Congress,
0:30.5	to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.
0:35.4	In this episode of We the People, will examine the text, history, and tradition of the First Amendment
0:39.8	and debate whether or not it's consistent with the Texas law.
0:43.9	Joining me are two leading First Amendment thinkers who filed briefs on opposite side of the case.
0:49.6	Nadine Strassen is the John Marshall Harlan II professor of Professor of Law Emerita at New York Law School.
0:56.0	She served as president of the American Civil Liberties Union
0:58.6	from 1991 to 2008.
1:01.2	She's a senior fellow with a foundation
1:03.0	for individual rights and education,
1:05.3	and she serves on the advisory boards of the ACLU,
1:08.1	the Academic Freedom Alliance,
1:09.9	Heterodox Academy, and more.
1:12.4	She authored the 1995 Book Defending Pornography, Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight
1:17.4	for Women's Rights, which was republished in 2024.
1:21.3	She filed a brief on behalf of the petitioners.
1:24.4	Nadine, it's wonderful to welcome you back to We the People.
1:27.5	Delighted to be here with you, Jeff, and with my friend and colleague, Adam.
	...

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