WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court is set on Wednesday to hear a challenge on free speech grounds to a Texas law that requires pornographic websites to verify the age of users in a case testing the legality of state efforts to keep minors from viewing such material online.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case over a Texas law requiring pornography websites to verify users’ ages. House Bill 1181, which the state Legislature passed in 2023,

A Texas anti-pornography law is going before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a collision of free speech rights, regulation of online content and the protection of children. Texas is among more than a dozen states with similar laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography.

At issue is a Texas law that mandates pornography websites verify the ages of their users before they gain access to the material.

A panel of appeals judges has ruled that Tennessee can begin enforcing a law that requires pornographic websites to verify their visitors’ age as the First Amendment debate rises to the U.S. Supreme Court this week for oral arguments over a similar Texas law.

Texas and 18 other states have recently enacted laws requiring pornography websites to verify the ages of their visitors.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday considers whether to strike down a Texas law aimed at preventing young people from accessing pornographic content online.