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North Carolina passes bipartisan bill requiring age verification for access to pornography websites

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – With overwhelming bipartisan support, the North Carolina Legislature passed a bill Thursday that requires age verification on websites that publish pornography and other material considered harmful to minors under the age of 18, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

The bill was introduced by Republican State Sen. Amy Galey, and received strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, AP reports. The proposal now passes to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper for signing, veto, or to become law without his signature.

The legislation requires any company that distributes pornography to ascertain that the viewer is at least 18 years old by using a commercially available database, AP reports. Companies are als prohibited from keeping information about viewers who have been granted access to the website.
Moreover, the legislation allows the parent of a minor to sue a company that violates the law by allowing their child access to a pornography website, AP reports.

In a statement during the floor debate, Sen. Galey said: “Moms and dads across the state of North Carolina are striving to protect their children from online predators in a number of different ways by monitoring their child’s use, by putting parental controls on their electronics.This will give them another important way where they can work to keep their children safe.”