Free Speech

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'The Only People Who've Been Hurt by This Are My Wife and Me': An Exclusive Interview With Joe Gow

Only hours after the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents took the unusually extreme step of firing veteran communications professor Joe Gow — stripping him of tenure for creating and appearing in adult content — XBIZ spoke exclusively with him about his case.

U.S. House Revives Controversial KOSA in 2.0 Version

The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce has advanced two internet regulation bills, including a vastly revised version of the controversial Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which had stalled after passing the Senate.

Free Speech Organization Comes Out in Support of Wisconsin Professor Who Posted on OnlyFans

After a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse faculty tribunal recommended stripping veteran professor of communications Joe Gow of tenure last week due to Gow having unremorsefully created and appeared in adult content, a major free speech organization has come out in his support.

Trump VP Pick J. D. Vance Called for 'Outright Ban' on Adult Content in 2021

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced Monday that he had selected as his running mate Ohio Senator J. D. Vance, who in a 2021 interview called for an “outright ban” on porn.

Democratic Senator Tina Smith Proposes Comstock Act Repeal for Sexual Health, Abortion Content

Democratic U.S. Senator for Minnesota Tina Smith announced on Thursday plans to introduce legislation to repeal language in the Comstock Act — the infamous law that was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of all sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s — concerning distribution of material related to abortion and sexual health.

X's Clarification of Adult Content Policy Triggers International Confusion

X’s recent clarification of its adult content policies has created confusion in countries with strict anti-porn laws, such as Indonesia, especially considering that X owner Elon Musk has stated that the limits of his “free speech absolutism” for the platform formerly known as Twitter are the laws of each country.

Free Speech Coalition Asks Court to Block Montana AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has asked the US District Court of Montana to block the state's new age verification law.

Heritage Foundation Celebrates Georgia Age Verification Law's Chilling Effect on Adult Free Speech

Influential think tank the Heritage Foundation produced an op-ed endorsing the Georgia version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, and celebrating its success in also preventing adults from accessing legal, First Amendment-protected pornographic content.

Justices Alito, Thomas Invoke Victorian-Era Morality Law, Raising Censorship Concerns

Several national publications reported this week on widespread concern among Free Speech advocates after U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked, during a hearing, the Comstock Act, an infamous law that was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s.

Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to stay its recent decision upholding the law, because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.

Industry Attorney, Free Speech Champion Clyde DeWitt Passes Away at 75

Noted industry attorney Clyde DeWitt passed away on Friday in Las Vegas at 75, according to friends and colleagues.

Indiana ACLU Warns About Censorship Potential of State's Age Verification Bill

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has warned that the state’s version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists will likely result in censorship of LGBTQ+ and other constitutionally protected content.

Kentucky Republicans Revive 'Public Health Crisis' Claims to Justify Anti-Porn Bills

Republican lawmakers in the Kentucky House and Senate are renewing claims that adult content is part of a “public health crisis,” to justify introducing matching copycat versions of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

NiteFlirt Joins Free Speech Coalition as Sponsor

Phone sex service NiteFlirt has joined the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) as a Silver-level sponsor.

Kansas Senator Dismisses Free Speech Concerns About Her Age Verification Bill

The Kansas state Senate Judiciary Committee last week voted unanimously to endorse the state’s copycat version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite Democratic senators expressing concerns about potential implications for free speech.

Iowa Republican Changes Porn Filter Bill Into Age Verification Bill After Learning More About Phones

The Republican legislator behind Iowa’s mandatory porn filter bill said that, after realizing that multinational electronics corporations were unlikely to alter phones and other devices to comply with one state law, he was turning his bill into yet another version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

North Carolina Republican Suggests Adult Sites Age-Verify by Providing 'Free Memberships'

Rep. Jon Hardister, one of the main backers of the North Carolina age verification law that resulted in several adult sites — including Pornhub — disabling access in the state, suggested in an interview published Monday that the sites could comply with the law without blocking all adults’ access, by providing some form of free membership that would verify a user’s identity and age.

Utah Senator Hijacks Taylor Swift AI Controversy to Push for Anti-Porn Policy

Anti-porn U.S. Senator Mike Lee has inserted himself into the controversy over recent nonconsensual AI content featuring pop singer Taylor Swift, by advocating for a new federal law that would mirror a current, extreme Utah law targeting consensual adult content.

Italy to Roll Out 'Test' Adult Content Filter Mandate Next Week

Italy will begin enforcing a new, experimental directive from online regulators on Tuesday, requiring all phone providers to install a default filter for certain kinds of content, including all adult content, on SIM cards registered to minors.