The SCREEN Act Threatens Privacy Far Beyond Adult Websites
The Senate Commerce Committee is set to consider S. 737 , the SCREEN Act, a sweeping age-verification bill that would require online services to verify users’ ages before they can access any sexually explicit content. If this bill passes, it will force millions of adult internet users to give up their anonymity, privacy, and security before they access lawful speech. Unlike many state-age…
The Senate Commerce Committee is set to examine the SCREEN Act, a bill that would impose stringent age-verification requirements on online platforms, potentially affecting millions of adult users. Unlike state-level laws, the SCREEN Act's reach extends to non-adult content websites, including streaming services and social media platforms, if they host any sexually explicit material.
This legislation does not simply demand users affirm their adulthood, but requires platforms to verify ages through methods tied to real identities, a far more invasive process than typical age checks in the physical world. The bill's privacy and data security provisions are criticized for being inadequate, allowing collected information to be retained indefinitely and used as the service deems reasonable.
Additionally, the SCREEN Act singles out VPN users, mandating age verification based on IP addresses and specifically targeting IP addresses of known VPN providers. This move against VPNs threatens user privacy and security, as millions rely on these tools to maintain anonymity and protect their online activities.
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