A hidden-camera video has revealed that age verification laws, which have been sweeping across the US, may be part of a broader effort to ban pornography altogether. The footage features Republican operative Russell Vought, a key architect behind Project 2025, discussing how these laws are designed to force porn websites out of business—a goal that anti-porn activists have been pursuing for years.

The video was recorded by reporters from the British nonprofit Centre for Climate Reporting, who posed as relatives of a fictitious conservative donor during a conversation with Vought in a Washington, D.C., hotel suite in July. Last Thursday, the nonprofit released the video, which sheds light on the real motivations behind the age verification push.

In the video, Vought candidly discusses the strategy behind the age verification laws, which require websites to verify the ages of users accessing adult content. These laws have already prompted major porn platforms to cease operations in states where they are enforced—a move Vought acknowledges was part of the plan.

“We’re doing it from the back door. We’re starting with the kids,” Vought said in the video. “We’d have a national ban on pornography if we could, right? So, like, we would have, you know, the porn companies being investigated for all manner of human rights abuses.”

Vought explained that the age verification laws are designed to shift liability onto porn companies for underage access to their content, rather than relying on users to self-certify their age. This approach has already led to several states enacting such laws, causing porn websites to pull out of those markets—precisely the outcome Vought and his allies sought.

Russell Vought is the founder of the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank with a mission to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” He also played a significant role in the Trump administration as the director of the Office of Management and Budget and is a key figure behind Project 2025, a controversial policy agenda developed by the Heritage Foundation for a potential second Trump administration.

Project 2025 has faced criticism for its far-reaching and extreme proposals, including banning pornography and criminalizing its production and distribution. Despite former President Donald Trump distancing himself from the agenda, many of its proponents are expected to hold influential positions if Trump is re-elected.

While the revelation that age verification laws are being used as a tool to curb pornography may not come as a surprise to some, the video highlights the extent to which conservative policymakers are pursuing this strategy. Project 2025 explicitly calls for outlawing pornography, arguing that it “has no claim to First Amendment protection” and advocating for the imprisonment of those involved in its production or distribution.

The document also links pornography to broader cultural issues, including the “propagation of transgender ideology,” suggesting that the agenda’s definition of pornography could encompass a wide range of content related to gender and sexuality.

Sex workers and advocates have long warned that age verification laws are just the beginning of a larger effort to ban adult content. The video featuring Vought confirms these concerns, showing that conservative activists are using these laws as a stepping stone to achieving their ultimate goal of eradicating pornography.

While the spokesperson for the Center for Renewing America downplayed the video, noting that Vought’s stance has been publicly stated before, the footage provides a stark reminder of the ongoing battle over internet regulation and the protection of First Amendment rights.