Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona vetoed a bill this week that would have forced pornographic websites to require their users to verify their age.
Hobbs said doing so violated the First Amendment rights of companies that make or distribute images of explicit sex online.
As a result, minors in the state will be able to freely access adult content from porn purveyors such as Pornhub.
Numerous other states have passed laws requiring such companies to force visitors to prove they are at least 18 to access explicit videos.
But Arizona’s young people will have full access to sites such as Pornhub after a Republican-passed bill that would have prevented that was shot down by Hobbs on Monday, The Arizona Republic reported.
According to the newspaper, Hobbs said she was concerned about child safety but that “while we look for a solution, it should be bipartisan and work within the bounds of the First Amendment, which this bill does not.”
House Bill 2586 sought to allow people to hold pornographic websites civilly liable for damages caused to teens.
The bill was one of four that Hobbs vetoed on Monday.
She had refused to sign a total of 23 bills this calendar year as of April 10.
Do you support banning pornography?
Arizona’s age verification bill was similar to one implemented in Texas.
That bill saw Pornhub eventually block all access to the Lone Star State to shield itself from fines.
Hobbs faced some criticism on social media for refusing to implement a bill to protect Arizona’s children:
Hell of a campaign platform. “Vote for Hobbs. All the porn your kids want!”
— Navin R. Johnson (@Darth__Brian) April 10, 2024
I heard a Gen Z say many young AZ boys are addicted to Porn. But our Governor chooses lobbyists. It takes nothing to require age verification but it would be a financial hit to the website.
Guess Hobbs doesn’t care about AZ Youth.. I mean she’s pushing Abortion Bill up to 9… https://t.co/zeWiPIqs37
— Lou 🫦 (@LouAZMerrijul) April 10, 2024
AZ Governor Hobbs chooses porn lobbyists over AZ families. #onetermwonder pic.twitter.com/p8TZYG0Cag
— Allen Skillicorn ™ 🌵 🇺🇸 (@allenskillicorn) April 9, 2024
As USA Today noted, Texas is not the only state that the company has blocked access to.
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia have also passed age-verification laws.
As a result, Pornhub is not available in those states.
Numerous studies have shown that exposure to pornography can be extremely detrimental to young people.
As the Council on Recovery noted, “Pornography addiction is an adolescent high-risk behavior that is escalating across all segments of the teenage population.”
Teens who routinely view adult content often experience depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Some later suffer from erectile dysfunction.
According to the group, many of them can eventually lose all interest in dating as they grow older.
Some are also at risk of engaging in risky sexual behavior when they do become sexually active.
