SCREEN Act
United States- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Became Law
Would require age verification to view adult content, and explicitly targets VPNs so people can't bypass it.
Latest update
Committee voted 15-13 to advance, but the vote failed on low attendance. The bill stalled in committee.
This bill is still moving
This bill is still moving, so there's still time to push back.
Contact LawmakersWhat it does
Sites with adult content would have to verify visitors are 18 with something stronger than a checkbox. The bill names VPNs outright: services would have to run the age check on known VPN addresses too, so the usual way around it stops working.
Why it matters
Go after VPN traffic and you are aiming at the main tool people use to stay private online. Handing over ID to look at legal content was already the problem; closing the VPN route takes away the last way out.
Our take
The VPN clause gives it away. The check becomes impossible to dodge, which is the actual goal. A privacy tool gets treated as a loophole to shut.
Timeline
Committee voted 15-13 to advance, but the vote failed on low attendance. The bill stalled in committee.
LatestIntroduced
Referred to committee
Sponsor
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Cosponsors (4)
John Curtis (R-UT), Jim Banks (R-IN), James Lankford (R-OK), David McCormick (R-PA)
Committee
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee