A legal challenge unfolding in Kansas could reshape how adult websites are held responsible for not introducing digital ID verification on their platforms. Four lawsuits filed last week target adult sites for allegedly skirting Kansas law, which demands age-verification tools.
We obtained an example of one of the lawsuits for you here.
The actions, brought by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and a Kansas law firm, were filed on behalf of a 14-year-old and the child’s mother. This marks the first time a minor has sought to use such state laws to pursue damages.
Unlike federal legislation, which imposes no ID age-check requirements on adult content providers, Kansas is part of a growing coalition of states implementing their own rules. Roughly 20 states have passed similar laws, with Louisiana leading the charge in 2023. Kansas followed with a statute that not only outlines standards for age verification but also grants residents the power to sue companies that fail to comply.
“This law gives private individuals and groups the authority to take action,” Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach told Fox News in a segment. His office filed its own suit earlier this year against an adult website, accusing it of disregarding Kansas’ age verification rules. That case remains active.
According to the new lawsuits, the teenage plaintiff accessed adult content through an old laptop, despite parental efforts to prevent it. NCOSE claims the exposure was aided by algorithms and recommendation systems tied to the websites or their partners. The filings assert that such platforms funneled the child toward sexually explicit material, even though his parents had put controls in place.
“The parents in this instance thought they did everything right,” NCOSE General Counsel Benjamin Bull explained. “It’s just a question of when children will gain access… unless these online platforms actually install age verification, this boy’s … what’s happened to him and what’s happened to hundreds of thousands of others is just going to continue and get worse.”
More: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda
One of the sites named in the lawsuits is Chaturbate, operated by Multi Media LLC. While the site claims to have age-gating features in place, the plaintiffs argue that these mechanisms are easily bypassed and fall short of Kansas’ legal threshold.
Multi Media LLC disputes the claims entirely. In a statement, a spokesperson said the company’s age-verification system performed correctly and blocked the plaintiff from viewing adult content. “The platform’s ID verification age gate functioned exactly as expected,” the spokesperson said, calling the lawsuit “completely baseless.” The company also asserted it had explained the situation to the plaintiff’s attorneys months ago and is now considering seeking sanctions in response.
Despite the platform’s denial, Kansas officials maintain the lawsuit’s signal that the law is having its intended impact. “Companies are being taken to task for marketing this material in a way that minors can get it,” Kobach said, adding that the availability of reliable age-check technology makes continued lapses unacceptable.
The lawsuits are seeking no less than $50,000 in statutory damages for each violation, as well as compensation for harm, legal fees, and other potential remedies.
The lawsuits in Kansas not only raise questions about age verification but also spotlight a broader and increasingly urgent debate over digital privacy. The push to require identity checks on adult websites has prompted concern among privacy advocates, who warn that such mandates threaten the foundation of online anonymity and expand the amount of sensitive data platforms are incentivized, or required, to collect.
In states like Kansas, where the law compels adult sites to verify that visitors are adults, the most commonly suggested method is through government-issued photo identification.
This practice forces users to submit highly personal information to access legal content, dramatically shifting the web from a space of pseudonymity and freedom to one of surveillance and gatekeeping. Platforms, in turn, must either build or outsource infrastructure capable of scanning, storing, and managing that data, raising the stakes in terms of both privacy and cybersecurity.
When a user submits an ID to gain access to a website, the verification process doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It typically involves third-party processors or proprietary systems that handle and cross-check the data.
This collection, even if ostensibly temporary or encrypted, becomes a honeypot for malicious actors. Should that data be breached, leaked, or misused, the consequences could include identity theft, public exposure of personal behavior, or even extortion, especially in a context as stigmatized as adult content consumption.
Privacy advocates argue that mandatory digital ID verification schemes not only erode civil liberties but also undermine trust in online platforms. They warn that once data collection becomes normalized, companies may be tempted to retain more than what is strictly necessary or to repurpose it for advertising, analytics, or sale to third parties. The more entities that touch the data, the more entry points exist for abuse.
