Bill > SB633

This bill, titled the "Protecting Kids from Porn Act," proposes comprehensive regulations to prevent minors from accessing pornographic online content through strict age verification requirements. The legislation defines a "commercial adult website" as any digital platform with over 25% sexually explicit content and mandates a rigorous multi-step age verification process that includes biometric facial recognition, government-issued ID verification, credit card authentication, and third-party verification. Websites must re-authenticate users every 24 hours and are prohibited from storing or sharing personal verification data. The bill imposes severe penalties for non-compliance, including potential fines up to $1,000,000 per violation, permanent blocking from operating in West Virginia, and civil damages up to $10,000 per minor exposed to explicit content. The West Virginia Attorney General's Office would establish a special enforcement unit to conduct compliance audits, and website operators could face criminal felony charges for knowingly violating the statute. Parents would also have the right to file civil suits with potential statutory damages of $100,000 per incident. The law includes provisions for legal defense if entities can prove full compliance and a severability clause to ensure that if one part of the law is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

Justice

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=633&year=2025&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill