New Jersey Online Age Verification Bill (A5305)
New Jersey, United States- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Became Law
New Jersey would require websites and other online services carrying covered sexual material to verify every visitor is at least 18.
Latest update
Introduced and referred to the Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
This bill is still moving
This bill is still moving, so there's still time to push back.
Contact LawmakersWhat it does
A5305 would require a sexually oriented online entity serving people in New Jersey to verify that every person attempting to access covered material is at least 18. Its definition can reach websites, social media platforms, file-sharing and video services, gaming platforms, apps and other internet-connected services when covered material is their primary purpose or a substantial portion of their business or content. Verification could use state identification records, a commercial provider or the service's own account-based system. Violations could be prosecuted under the state's obscenity law and carry an additional civil penalty of up to $50,000.
Why it matters
The bill does not stop at traditional adult websites. Its one-third tests can classify an entire service based on revenue, user accounts or even the content of a single account, exposing general-purpose platforms to identity checks and criminal enforcement. Although it restricts retention and disclosure of identifying information, it still makes adults prove their age before viewing lawful material.
Our take
New Jersey is attaching an online identity checkpoint to its criminal obscenity law and defining the covered internet broadly. A promise to delete identity data after the check does not remove the privacy and speech cost of requiring the check in the first place.
Timeline
Introduced and referred to the Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
LatestSponsor
Assemblywoman Andrea Katz