Privacy Law Library

Age Verification for Online Matter Harmful to Minors

KY Adult Site Age Verification

Children · Other

Requires commercial adult websites to verify that users are at least 18 using government ID or commercially reasonable transactional-data methods, and lets injured persons or parents sue for failures. To protect user privacy, platforms and verification vendors may not keep identifying information after access is granted. Enforcement is exclusively private; state officials may not enforce it.

Where

Kentucky

Citation

KRS 436.001 to 436.009 (created 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 106, secs. 13-18, HB 278)

Status

In force

In force since

2024-07-15

Enforced by

Private civil actions only; the Commonwealth, the Attorney General, prosecutors, and state officers are barred from enforcing

People can sue

Yes

Penalties

$10,000 per instance of failing to age-verify a minor, plus actual damages, costs, and attorney's fees. Knowingly retaining identifying information after granting access: $1,000 per 24-hour period retained, plus actual damages, costs, and fees. Jury trial on liability and damages.

Applies to

• Covered platforms: for-profit websites that in the regular course of business create, host, or make available matter harmful to minors, where more than one-third of the material they knowingly publish or distribute is harmful to minors
• Third parties that perform age verification for covered platforms