HB 2112 · Age Verification for Adult Online Content

Requires websites where more than one-third of content is sexual material harmful to minors to verify users are 18 or older before granting access.

Concerns about minors’ access to online adult content have generated legislation across multiple states. Washington previously passed the Children’s Online Privacy Act and other measures. HB 2112 addresses a specific gap: pornographic and adult content platforms that can be freely accessed by minors without any verification requirement. The bill is distinct from broader child online safety legislation (see also HB 1834) in its narrow focus on commercial adult content sites.

HB 2112 requires commercial entities that publish online material where more than one-third constitutes sexual content harmful to minors to implement age verification confirming users are 18 or older, using digital ID or government-ID-based commercial systems. Age verifiers may not retain any identifying information after verification. Platforms must display health risk notices in 14-point font or larger, including substance abuse helpline contact information. The Attorney General may pursue civil penalties up to ,000 per day of violation, with enhanced penalties if a minor actually accesses restricted content. ISPs, search engines, and cloud providers are not liable for merely hosting or transmitting such content. The bill is in House Consumer Protection and Business Committee.

• The coalition is monitoring this bill for its implications for youth online safety broadly — early exposure to harmful content is associated with increased risk-taking behavior and can affect youth development and school engagement.
• The data minimization requirement (verifiers may not retain information after verification) is a meaningful privacy protection that should be a standard for any age verification scheme.
• Civil liberties concerns around age verification systems — including the risk of surveillance infrastructure and data breaches — are real and should inform advocacy positions.
• The bill’s narrow scope (sites where >33% of content is adult material) means it would not apply to social media platforms or general-purpose sites, which are addressed separately by HB 1834.