WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
YOU THINK YOU ARE COVERED?
YOU ARE NOT
If your website offers NSFW content, AI-generated content, or any UGC that could be harmful to minors, most likely you’re not covered.
Specifically, if you are:
making your content accessible in strict jurisdictions without any regulator-grade, privacy-preserving age verification/estimation solution. →
using the “I’m 18+” checkbox/pop-up as your only gate. SAMPLES
relying only on self-declared age (typing a birthdate or picking a date from a calendar). SAMPLES
utilizing only a content-warning or “parents should supervise” notice, or Terms of Service “no-liability” language.
using IP-only geoblocking (VPNs bypass it) or a cookie-based age flag.
relying on company registration or domiciliation for protection - jurisdiction follows your users; if users in regulated regions can access your content, you’re in scope and liable.
Your company is registered in Hong Kong while reaching Aussies without regulator-grade age estimation? You’re still liable for verifying your Australian users’ ages.
relying on payment-card possession as proof of age - parents commonly give debit cards to minors.
thinking that some combination of the above methods will shield you - it won’t.
treating site size as an exemption - it isn’t; age checks are jurisdiction- and content-based, from a personal page to an enterprise platform.
you think you are ready to pay for thousands upon thousands of verifications with major age-verification services out there?
Most likely - you are not. →
U.S. states enforcing age-verification for adult sites
Already: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota (effective Aug 1, 2025), Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming.
Coming up next: Arizona (Sep 26, 2025) and Ohio (Sep 29, 2025). Missouri: to take effect 30 days after final rule publication.
Several of these states are among the largest U.S. economies - for example Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia - so non-compliance there directly impacts your customer base and revenue.
EU, UK, and others
EU (DSA): Expects privacy-preserving age assurance beyond self-declaration.
UK (Online Safety Act): Porn services must use strong age checks; Ofcom is enforcing.
France & Germany: Regulator-grade AV (CNIL, KJM) — closed user groups, not checkboxes.
Australia & others: Rapid shift toward robust, privacy-safe age assurance.
On average, at ~10k checks/mo: AI ≈ $1k, document-based $3–5k, premium KYC ~$14k;
At ~100k checks/mo: AI < $10k, document-based $30–50k, premium KYC >$100k.
Bottom line: If users can reach your UGC/NSFW content, simple gates based on the “best effort” approach won’t protect you.
In short: Get compliant today via a regulator-grade, privacy-preserving AVS.
NOT COMPLIANT?
get ready FOR …
Fines Per Day or Per Violation
Louisiana: up to $5,000 per day and $10,000 per violation for failing to verify age.
Texas: civil penalties of $10,000 per day, plus $250,000 if a minor accesses content due to a verification failure.
EU (DSA): fines up to 6% of global annual turnover
France: penalties up to €150,000 or 2% of worldwide turnover.
UK: fines up to £18 million or 10% of global annual revenue.
Payments Cut-offs by Card Networks
Pornhub: Dec 2020: Visa and Mastercard cut off card processing.
OnlyFans: On Aug 2021 announced a ban on explicit content citing bank/payment-processor pressure; reversed after partner assurances.
Lawsuits and Court Orders
Texas: The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas to enforce HB 1181; the Texas AG has sued multiple adult platforms for non-compliance (exposure to multi-million-dollar penalties).
France: The Conseil d’État ruled that major sites (Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube) must verify users’ ages; French courts can order blocking for non-compliance.
Geo-blocking / Access Restrictions
Pornhub in Utah, Virginia, Texas: Access blocked statewide to avoid AV-law risk.
Bluesky in Mississippi: Blocked all in-state access after broad AV law passed.
xHamster in Germany: Blocked by regulator for failing to implement a KJM-approved age-verification system .
Bottom line: Non-compliance drives direct costs (daily fines, civil penalties), legal exposure (injunctions, lawsuits, court-ordered blocks), commercial losses (payment shut-offs, geo-restricted traffic), and long-tail brand damage - risking revenue, reputation, and ultimately the business.
In short: Your platform can be shut down overnight - and you can remain liable for massive fines for years.
complicated?
yes, but worry not!
THE FUTURE LOOKS GRIM, HUH?
THERE IS A SOLUTION
The rules are tightening. Add real age checks that satisfy the law, keep sign-ups and purchases smooth, and protect people’s data.
Immediate next steps
Watch the ComplyWall demo — see age checks, geo rules, and dashboards in 2 minutes
Choose a plan — Starter, Growth, or Enterprise
Sign up — get API keys and drop in the widget/SDK to go live
What ComplyWall is building next
Verifiable age tokens (wallet-ready “18+ yes/no” with no identity disclosure).
On-device models with liveness/PAD for lower latency and less data at rest.
Passkeys/WebAuthn for low-friction re-auth where closed-user-group rules apply.
Multi-method orchestration to route each user to the least intrusive compliant method.
Export-grade auditability: signed decisions, redaction-friendly evidence, regulator-ready reports.
