Uthmeier said he tried to contact some companies in April and they ignored his outreach before he filed suit.
Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a civil lawsuit against several online porn companies he says are violating Florida law by not asking for age verification for site visitors.
Uthmeier filed the suit against Webgroup Czech Republic, NKL Associates, Sonesta Technologies Inc., GGW Group and Traffic F.
Uthmeier is citing Florida HB 3, which the Legislature approved by in 2024. The measure requires commercial entities that distribute “sexually explicit material” online to verify that visitors to the websites are at least 18 years old.
“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,” Uthmeier said in a news release. “We are taking legal action against these online pornographers who are willfully preying on the innocence of children for their financial gain.”
The Florida law requiring age verification was passed last year and took effect Jan. 1. The wording of the legislation specifically states that Florida is “requiring a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on a website or application that contains a substantial portion of such material to use certain verification methods and prevent access to such material by minors.”
Uthmeier said the adult content sites “openly defied” Florida law. He said in April he sent letters to two of the companies in question demanding they comply with the state law or legal action would ensue. “But the companies made no changes,” Uthmeier added.
The lawsuit also cites the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which is designed to prohibit unfair and deceptive business practices. Uthmeier argues those companies have engaged in that conduct “to build a vast and lucrative Florida user base that includes vulnerable children and teens.”
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