All states and countries that have age verification laws (so far)

Age Verification laws have swept the world in recent years. These rules, also known as age assurance or age screening, often require websites containing a certain (or any) amount of explicit content to confirm that users are over 18 years old.

But it’s no longer just a matter of checking a “yes or no” box. Many of these laws require personal data, such as a photo of a government ID or a facial recognition scan, to access certain parts of the Internet.

Although the purported goal of these laws is to prevent minors from viewing porn, experts have been telling Mashable for years that age verification not working for this intended purpose. This is because website companies based in other countries may not comply, or citizens may attempt to circumvent these laws by using VPNs (or, in the case of the UK’s Online Safety Act, using VPNs). images of video game characters). Early research at NYU suggests that age verification not workingAlso.

Experts also point out digital privacy and security concerns that could arise from submitting large amounts of personal information on various websites. One of them is identity theft, if malicious actors gain access to this data, for example through a phishing scam masquerading as a porn site’s verification system. Another problem is the lack of access to parts of the internet if someone does not have an ID, which could widen the digital divide.

However, these laws are spreading across the world. Here is a list of states and countries with age verification laws (so far).

UNITED STATES

The United States is notable in that age verification laws have been implemented on a state-by-state basis, not at the federal level. While you are unable to access Pornhub in Virginia, for example, you can drive to Maryland and walk all you want.

Since Louisiana enacted its age verification law in 2023, similar bills have popped up across the country. Then, in 2025, the The Supreme Court has ruled that these laws are constitutionalessentially ensuring that more states will implement them as well, experts told Mashable at the time.

States that have passed age verification laws as of the date of this publication, according to the adult industry trade organization, the Free Speech Coalitionare:

• Alabama

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• Florida

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• North Carolina

• North Dakota

• Ohio

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Utah

• Virginia

• Wyoming

United Kingdom

THE Online Safety Actwhich contains the UK’s age verification clause, came into force in July 2025. Sites and apps must use one of several methods to ensure a person’s age, such as taking their banking information, matching a photo with an ID, or scanning their face.

The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom said it would impose a fine of up to £18 million or 10% of eligible global revenues (whichever is greater) for sites that fail to comply. Since then, the “SFW” sites, dating apps has Spotify And YouTubehave or will implement age checks in the region (and others). Controversial sites 4chan and Kiwi Farms sued Ofcomstating that they should not have to comply as they operate outside the UK.

France

French law on age verificationwhich requires explicit sites to have a third-party system to confirm users’ ages, took effect in June 2025. It must also be “double-blind,” meaning the porn site cannot know the ages of visitors, while the verification system cannot know which site the visitor is viewing.

However, shortly after its promulgation, the the law was briefly suspended until it is deemed legal under EU law. But in July, France’s highest court, the Council of State, overturned the suspension. This caused a back-and-forth with Pornhub, which was first blocked in the country, then reinstated during this time, only to be blocked again after the law’s suspension was revoked.

Italy

From November 12 Italy to adopt age verification for pornographic sites. Last Friday, the Italian communications agency AGCOM published a list of 45 websites which must implement age verification systems to continue operating in the country, under penalty of receiving a warning and fines of up to 250,000 euros. The list includes Pornhub and OnlyFans.

AGCOM said on its website that a certified independent third party must verify the age of users, in two steps (identification and authentication of the identified person) — and this must happen at every session. When it comes to an app, a separate app needs to verify its age, such as a digital ID wallet app.

Australia

This law is a little different from other countries, but its objective is the same. Australia’s age verification law states that by the end of this year, people will have to verify their age when they log into their Google or Microsoft accounts and use those search engines. These engines should have tools or settings like “safe search,” where explicit content should be fully filtered. The highest security setting should be the default for account holders for whom the Age Guarantee system indicates that they are likely children.

If age assurance cannot be performed, explicit elements should be blurred.

China

Pornography is currently illegal in Chinaso its age verification systems are also different. The country has strict age restrictions for video games, live streaming and video sharing platforms, payment processors and social networks. Users must undergo Real name verificationwhich requires providing their name and identification number to access these services. Depending on the app, users may also be required to provide more information, such as their phone number, bank account, and a facial recognition scan.

This list will likely grow and Mashable will update it when it does. Ofcom’s group director for online safety, Oliver Griffiths, told Mashable last June: age verification for porn sites was a “global issue” and sought to establish global standards. It seems to be on track.

UPDATED: December 2, 2025, 11:49 a.m. EST The US list has been updated to add Missouri.