Utah Senators Mike Lee (R) and John Curtis (R) are leading a federal push to require pornography websites to implement stricter age verification measures, introducing the SCREEN Act (Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net) to mandate online safeguards for minors.

Lee reintroduced the legislation on Wednesday, February 21, 2025, with Curtis as a co-sponsor, arguing that the law is needed to modernize internet regulations to protect children from explicit content.

“It is time for our laws to catch up with technology,” Lee said. “The SCREEN Act addresses the urgent need to protect minors from exposure to online pornography and stop those who profit from stealing the innocence of America’s youth.”

The proposed legislation would:

✔ Require pornography websites to implement age verification technology—banning simple pop-ups that allow users to enter a birthdate.
✔ Mandate third-party verification systems—websites would have to contract with independent companies to confirm user age.
✔ Enforce strict data privacy rules, ensuring websites:

• Cannot collect unnecessary personal data beyond age verification.
• Cannot store user data longer than needed for compliance.

✔ Conduct regular audits of pornography websites to ensure compliance.
✔ Impose penalties under the Federal Trade Commission Act for violations, treating non-compliance as an unfair or deceptive business practice.

Co-sponsor John Curtis emphasized the potential harm of online pornography on children, arguing that the bill will ensure platforms take responsibility for restricting underage access.

“Like any parent in Utah, I’m deeply concerned that children remain vulnerable to explicit content online, as well as the psychological and societal harm it brings,” Curtis said.

He added that the SCREEN Act aims to balance child protection with personal freedoms, requiring websites to leverage modern technology without overly intrusive data collection.

The bill’s introduction comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on Texas’ age verification law, a decision that could determine whether Congress has the power to regulate minors’ access to online content.

Past Supreme Court rulings have struck down federal restrictions on pornography access, arguing they were too broad.

However, the Court has also acknowledged Congress’s compelling interest in shielding minors from explicit content.

The Texas ruling—expected later this year—could set a legal precedent for whether a federal age verification mandate is constitutional.

So far, 20 states have enacted age verification laws for adult websites, including:

✔ Utah, which allows residents to sue pornography websites for damages if they do not verify users’ ages.
✔ Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas, where age verification laws have led major sites like Pornhub to block access entirely.

The bill has garnered support from conservative and anti-porn advocacy groups, including:

✔ National Center on Sexual Exploitation
✔ National Decency Coalition
✔ Heritage Action
✔ Ethics and Public Policy Center
✔ American Principles Project
✔ Family Policy Alliance

While advocates argue that age verification protects children, opponents—including the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and digital rights groups—warn that such laws:

• Infringe on free speech rights by restricting access to constitutionally protected content.
• Threaten user privacy, as age verification often requires government-issued ID submission.
• Are difficult to enforce, as VPNs and proxy services can be used to bypass restrictions.

With state-level age verification laws already facing legal battles, the fate of the SCREEN Act may hinge on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. If upheld, the decision could pave the way for federal age verification mandates.