“It’s not a matter of if my kids are going to be exposed to pornography. It’s a matter of when. It’s definitely going to happen.”
This stark statement made by a mother of five and CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Dawn Hawkins, reflects our increasingly sexualized culture and the battle for our children’s purity. Hawkins, along with other national parent organizations, is concerned that parental controls and software filters on personal devices are not effective in keeping kids safe from seeing harmful content.
“How are we going to teach our children healthy intimacy and boundaries and consent when what they’re viewing across multiple platforms is sharing really the opposite message?” inquired Hawkins.
Her comments illustrate how raising children in this digital age can feel like trying to ride an out-of-control racehorse barreling down the track about to eject its jockey. Who will take up the reins to bring this horse to a normal pace?
Age Verification
On June 27, 2025, the United States Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a Texas law that requires pornography websites to verify the age of users before giving them access to explicit materials. This law will safeguard minors from sexually explicit content, an essential precedent that will also guard children in other states as it makes a way for similar legislation to be passed. So far nineteen states have passed age-verification laws.
Several justices expressed their understanding of the issue as they deliberated the case and underlined the importance of protecting our youth.
“Kids can get online porn through gaming systems, tablets, phones, computers. Let me just say that content filtering for all those different devices, I can say from personal experience, is difficult to keep up with,” commented Justice Barrett.
Chief Justice John Roberts observed that access to pornography online has “exploded,” and Justice Thomas added, “We’re in an entirely different world,” comparing porn from the days of Playboy Magazine and now.
The Texas law, H.B. 1181, requires websites that contain more than one-third sexual content to request a user to verify their age through identification such as a government ID or a biometric scan. This is a common-sense measure used in a similar way at the grocery store when a person buys cigarettes or alcohol. Noncompliance fines are up to $10,000 per day but in some cases can go up to $250,000.
This law further requires that such websites issue a health warning stating that pornography can “harm human brain development” or “weaken brain function.” Studies have shown the detrimental effect porn can have on the brain. Dr. Lawrence V. Tucker PLLC, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology uses SPECT scanning to demonstrate what happens to a brain when porn is watched.
Other States
In spite of Virginia being one of the first states to require age verification for porn sites, enforcement has been slow. Recent numbers show that of the 57 active “porn tube” sites listed, only four asked for a government-issued ID as required by the law. Three sites allowed a click to access, while sixteen were blocked completely. The rest, almost two-thirds of those sites remained unrestricted—open and available for anyone to view.
Although major porn sites like Pornhub and Youporn are blocking access in states with age-verification laws, controlling access to these sites is not that simple. One of the problems is the use of virtual private networks or VPNs used by people who want to circumvent the system. A VPN acts like a traffic detour, directing you through another state or country, allowing a user in the U.S. to appear as if they are actually accessing the site through a state/country that does not impose restrictions.
There has been improvement since the Texas law was passed in 2023, but clearly we have a ways to go in enforcement. Other states like South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming, which recently passed similar laws, may also face this same uphill battle.
Weigh In
For now at least, we can thank the Supreme Court for the backing of the law. Enough Is Enough® president and CEO Donna Rice Hughes sees this as a shield for our youth and a win for all Americans:
This decision to protect children from the evils of online sexual exploitation will profoundly impact the lives of America’s youth for generations to come…. For three decades, the pornography industry has been given a free pass to distribute obscene online content depicting themes of rape, incest and violence that has been accessible to anyone, including children. They continue to profit from the distribution of this illegal content while knowingly and blatantly breaking federal obscenity laws. Today, the tide has turned as the multi-billion dollar pornography industry will face a new level of accountability.
While we can be grateful that the law is taking the side of children and their protection, it’s clear we must continue to seek solutions to enforcement. Ultimately, God has placed parents as a first line of defense for their children. As families put down the phone to engage in protective conversations and enjoy each others’ company, an age-old principle applies:
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
—Deuteronomy 6:6-7
As parents are seen grappling with truth—how to apply it and live it—children can learn by example. In part, this will help slow that racehorse down and lay the groundwork for further solutions.
Prayer
Lord, you are omnipresent, omniscient, and all-powerful. You see the end from the beginning. We call in your cease-and-desist order to the fiery darts of this evil porn agenda to destroy the innocence of our youth. Remove the enemy’s shields and expose every wicked plan.
Thank you for this age-verification law. Let it be approved in every state now that the Supreme Court has upheld it. Give wisdom and understanding in how to enforce it and truly block porn usage and viewing by kids. Continue to bring creativity and effective ideas forward to restore and transform this landscape.
We especially pray for those who have been traumatized, shamed, and hurt by what they have seen. Heal their minds and hearts. Cleanse their memories. You alone can erase the negative effects of the enemy. Replace the bad with peace, hope, and love. We rely on you, God. In Jesus name. Amen.
Decree
We decree purity, justice, wholesomeness, integrity, truth, righteousness, and peace over our youth.
Praying for the safety of our children. The US is the world’s largest consumer of pornography. The addiction ruins lives and marriages. Exposing children to its brain-changing properties at any age leads to a high risk of adult addiction to pornography. We must protect them from exposure. The best solution would be to block all pornography content in the production of devices, and require that it can only be accessed with strict ID regulations or it would not be available. That would help to end the accidental discoveries that lead to early childhood addiction.
That’s a great idea!
Praying for the safety of our children. The US is the world’s largest consumer of pornography. The addiction ruins lives and marriages. Exposing children to its brain-changing properties at any age leads to a high risk of adult addiction to pornography. We must protect them from exposure. The best solution would be to block all pornography content in the production of devices, and require that it can only be accessed with strict ID regulations or it would not be available. That would help to end the accidental discoveries that lead to early childhood addiction.