Biometric age assurance legislation in New York targets porn, alcohol

A new senate bill in New York brings the state’s 2025-26 legislative session into the fray on age assurance for online porn sites. In tandem, a bill to allow biometric identity verification for age checks when buying alcohol or tobacco continues to grind its way through the legislation process.

Age assurance bill proposes fine of $50,000 a day for noncompliance

Senate Bill S3591, sponsored by Republican senator Jake Ashby, would require porn websites to “verify that all users of their content are 18 years of age or older.”

“Websites would also be given leeway to establish a password-protected account if the age verification is performed monthly and a password is reset monthly.”

The proposed civil penalty for noncompliance is a fine of up to $50,000 per day.

Language justifying the bill reads a bit like an after-school PSA: “The internet is a dangerous place for children, rife with sexual material that is harmful to minors. The ease of access to this material is downright scary.”

Bill on biometric age checks for alcohol makes it to 3rd legislative session

Meanwhile, Senate Bill S565, sponsored by Democrat James Skoufis, proposes amendments to the alcoholic beverage control law and the public health law that would authorize “a licensee, its agent or employee” to use a biometric identification device for age assurance when selling alcohol or tobacco products.

“Biometric age verification technology is effortless to use and highly accurate,” says the bill. “The system identifies individuals and verifies their age using biometric information that is extremely difficult to alter or ‘fake’, such as a fingerprint. The technology currently used by the Transportation Security Administration manages a 100 percent accurate verification rate.”

Skoufis’ bill was first introduced as S6007 in the 2019-20 legislative session, and is now on its third incarnation.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  legislation  |  New York  |  retail biometrics