EPISODE · Feb 3, 2026 · 18 MIN
Should WA restrict access to porn sites based on age?
from Soundside · host KUOW News and Information
Should you have to show your ID to watch porn online? A proposal introduced in the State Legislature this month would require it. If it passes, Washington will join over 20 states that already require age verification. Critics have said the law makes users vulnerable to data breaches and that content about LGBTQ people can be flagged as sexual, instead of educational, among other issues. So far, the bill hasn’t made it out of the House Consumer Protection and Business committee. But meanwhile, the core question remains: What to do about the access kids have to harmful sexual materials on an ever-changing internet? Guests Shauna Sowersby, state politics reporter at The Seattle Times Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor at the University of Washington, @nicole_thesexprofessor LinksHB 2112 - 2025-26, establishing an age minimum to access certain adult content onlineWA age verification bill targets access to online adult content - The Seattle Times The Age-Gated Internet Is Sweeping the US. Activists Are Fighting Back - Jason Parham, Wired Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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What this episode covers
States across the country are age-gating sites with explicit sexual content. But critics have raised concerns about privacy.
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Should WA restrict access to porn sites based on age?
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