Texas Age Verification Law Upheld: U.S. Supreme Court Balances Free Speech and Child Protection in the Digital Age
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, a groundbreaking decision with significant implications for online content regulation. The Court upheld a Texas statute — House Bill 1181 (HB 1181) — requiring commercial websites that host a substantial amount of sexually explicit material to verify users’ ages before granting access. In doing so, the Court applied intermediate scrutiny and upheld the statute as a constitutionally permissible measure to protect minors from harmful content.
EU Formally Adopts World’s First AI Law
On March 13, 2024, the European Parliament formally adopted the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (“AI Act”) with a large majority of 523-46 votes in favor of the legislation. The AI Act is the world’s first horizontal and standalone law governing AI, and a landmark piece of legislation for the EU.
