Texas court orders porn site to pay $9M bond to unlock domain name
AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas court has ordered that the domain name of a porn website be locked down after failing to comply with the state’s age-verification law.
What we know:
According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the state sued Kick Online Entertainment, the parent company of the site, in 2024 after it didn’t follow a law enacted in 2023. It requires that porn sites displayed in Texas institute age-verification measures to restrict minors' access to sexually explicit material.
The company ignored the lawsuit and subsequent default judgment, according to officials.
A Travis County district court judge has since ordered the company that owns the domain registry for the site to lock it down until a $9.14 million bond and age-verification is implemented by Kick Online Entertainment.
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What they're saying:
"This court order establishes a huge precedent that websites can be stripped of their domain if they ignore the law and harm children with pornographic content," said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. "This affirms that protecting children from pornographic content is not only about collecting a penalty but also shutting down websites that refuse to obey the law. My office will continue to take action against any website that harms kids by allowing them access to pornographic content."
The backstory:
Texas’ age-verification law was challenged on free-speech grounds. It was upheld in June 2025 by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Some sites have opted to block access to computers in Texas rather than comply with the law.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Texas Attorney General's Office and previous FOX Local reporting.