Jacob Ogles
House lawmakers advanced a measure that would require pornography websites to take more steps to confirm viewers’ identities.
After winning support in the House Judiciary Committee, legislation (HB 3) moved forward that would require publishers of material “harmful to minors” to provide reasonable age verification and limit access.
Rep. Chase Tramont, a Port Orange Republican, called the bill “very commonsense legislation to protect children are requiring websites and applications that publish materials harmful to minors, such as pornography.”
The proposal did draw opposition from some individuals concerned that a change in the law could allow overreach, noting the broad language could open the door to policing more than porn.
“I don’t believe this Legislature will stop with this bill, which can easily be used to ban children from seeing drag shows online,” said Charles Horowitz during public testimony. “I don’t trust this Legislature. We all know we can protect children without violating the First Amendment.”
LGBTQ advocates spoke out against the bill, laying out concerns about whether the limits could cover any material supportive of gay and transgender rights. Many cited the Legislature’s passage the past two years of the “Parental Rights in Education” law restricting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
But the bill advanced out of the committee with 21-0 bipartisan support.
Tramont said the legislation is not intended to reach into the areas referenced by critics.
“I recognize it’s not government’s job to raise someone’s children nor would we ever espouse that, but it is our role to give parents the tools and provisions to protect their children,” he said. “We do it every single day. We don’t allow them to purchase alcohol. We don’t let them take them to strip clubs.”
The legislation already cleared the House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee. That means the next time it will be heard will likely be on the House floor.
Similar legislation (SB 1792) filed in the Senate by Sen. Erin Grall, a Fort Pierce Republican, awaits consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
4 comments
Dont Say FLA
January 17, 2024 at 4:35 pm
If the state doesn’t want kids accessing porns, stop with the attempts knee capping the child labor laws. If a minor can’t buy a computer for accessing the porn, there we have parental control.
tom palmer
January 17, 2024 at 5:10 pm
I just do not see how this will be enforced, however laudable the idea is,
Dave Hardison
January 18, 2024 at 8:31 am
How exactly are websites supposed to verify the identity of the user. Are they going to require a credit card? A driver’s license?
Maybe the government will just put a mark on everyone’s foreheads so the computer can scan it and know what everyone is reading at all times.
JD
January 18, 2024 at 10:53 am
This is a non-starter as they have no way to enforce it because they cannot detect it (VPNs and Proxy servers).
The porn industry isn’t going to add ID.me for just the sate of Florida.
And it’s the FCC jurisdiction anyway.
Let’s ask how many porn content producers are in Florida? Here they go trying to kill the only industry they haven’t yet touched. The Zeiglers would like a word.
This is all for show and pander. Stop wasting legislative time and fix Florida’s REAL PROBLEMS you ASSH0LES.
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