{
  "batch": "1476-adult-content-photographer-and-videographer-risks",
  "articles": [
    {
      "id": "learn_r1476_adult_content_photographer_and_videographer_risks_doj_2257_recordkeeping",
      "category": "Safety",
      "title": "[Unverified - being checked] 18 U.S.C. §§ 2257-2257A: Safety.legal",
      "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Federal law imposes name- and age-verification, recordkeeping, and labeling requirements on producers of visual depictions of actual human beings engaged in actual or simulated sexually explicit conduct",
      "body": "Federal law imposes name- and age-verification, recordkeeping, and labeling requirements on producers of visual depictions of actual human beings engaged in actual or simulated sexually explicit conduct\n\nWhat U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section actually says:\n\n“In order to protect children from sexual exploitation crimes, federal law imposes name- and age-verification, recordkeeping, and labeling requirements on producers of visual depictions of actual human beings engaged in actual or simulated sexually explicit conduct (See 18 U.S.C. §§ 2257, 2257A).  This means that producers of pornography, or depictions of any sexual activity using actual people, are required to verify that the performers are of legal age (18–years–old or older) by maintaining records of the performers’ names and ages.  They also are required to disclose the location of these records.  Under the law, all records are subject to inspection.”",
      "source_type": "official",
      "source_link": "https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-ceos/18-usc-2257-2257a-certifications",
      "last_verified": "2026-10-10",
      "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE",
      "source_tier": "A",
      "source_publisher": "U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section",
      "evidence_quote": "In order to protect children from sexual exploitation crimes, federal law imposes name- and age-verification, recordkeeping, and labeling requirements on producers of visual depictions of actual human beings engaged in actual or simulated sexually explicit conduct (See 18 U.S.C. §§ 2257, 2257A).  This means that producers of pornography, or depictions of any sexual activity using actual people, are required to verify that the performers are of legal age (18–years–old or older) by maintaining records of the performers’ names and ages.  They also are required to disclose the location of these records.  Under the law, all records are subject to inspection.",
      "volatility": "low",
      "from_batch": "1476-adult-content-photographer-and-videographer-risks",
      "subject": "18 U.S.C. §§ 2257-2257A",
      "topic": "Safety.legal",
      "applies_to_country": "*",
      "tags": {
        "lane": "any",
        "stage": "setting_up",
        "region": [
          "us"
        ],
        "platform": "any",
        "topic": [
          "safety.legal"
        ],
        "explicitness": "any"
      },
      "verification": {
        "status": "unverified",
        "label": "Unverified - being checked",
        "reasons": [
          "thin_body",
          "source_unverifiable:fetch_failed:budget"
        ],
        "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z"
      }
    }
  ]
}