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Florida AG Uthmeier sues adult video sites for ignoring age verification law

James Uthmeier stands behind a podium with a sign on it that reads "Protecting Women's Sports"
AG James Uthmeier
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier

Florida is taking legal action against pornography websites operated by foreign companies that officials say are flouting the state’s recently passed age verification laws.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday he suing the operators of XVideos, XNXX, and other pornographic websites after they have failed to comply with a state law meant to prevent children from accessing graphic content that took effect January 1st.

“Multiple porn companies are flagrantly breaking Florida’s age verification law by exposing children to harmful, explicit content. As a father of young children, and as Attorney General, this is completely unacceptable. We are taking legal action against these online pornographers who are willfully preying on the innocence of children for their financial gain,” he wrote in a statement announcing the suit.

At of the start of this year, adult sites were required to have an age verification process that required a government-issued ID to allow user access. Several sites have ignored it, while others have pulled access from the state all together out of user privacy concerns.

Those concerns about private companies holding images of IDs for verification have grown nationally after a data breach at an app called Tea, which collects driver’s license information, potentially exposed tens of thousands of users.

Tristan Wood is a senior producer and host with WFSU Public Media. A South Florida native and University of Florida graduate, he focuses on state government in the Sunshine State and local panhandle political happenings.