SCREEN Act
What 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.
Cosponsors (4)
John Curtis (R-UT), Jim Banks (R-IN), James Lankford (R-OK), David McCormick (R-PA)
Committee
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Timeline
- February 26, 2025Introduced
- February 26, 2025Referred to committee
Related bills
Our coverage: all age-verification stories · Status checked July 20, 2026