Latest news with #InterstateObscenityDefinitionAct
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Porn ban in US? GOP senator pushes bill to make all porn illegal nationwide, and it's moving forward
Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee is making headlines in Washington with his latest legislative proposal, a nationwide pornography ban. His Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA) has now made it to the committee stage, paving the way for a heated political and cultural debate over internet content and free expression. The proposal has sparked heated debate, with supporters hailing it as a moral safeguard and critics warning that it could criminalize mainstream media and disrupt adult entertainment careers. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program The bill, which is currently in committee, redefines "obscenity" for the digital age. Critics argue that its broad language threatens free expression and may have an impact on mainstream shows, while adult industry workers are concerned about the devastating economic consequences. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo What does the bill want to change? Senator Mike Lee's Interstate Obscenity Definition Act updates the 1934 Communications Act to make the definition of obscenity broader. The proposal says that any picture, video, or other visual content that shows or pretends to show sexual acts "with the intent to arouse" and doesn't have "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value" could be a crime. The "intent" safeguard is no longer there, which is a big change. Under current law, it is often necessary to prove malicious distribution in order to bring a case. Lee's plan said that even sharing this kind of material by accident could lead to punishments. Live Events Why is it getting so much hate? People who support free speech say that the bill's language is too vague and could be dangerous. Robert Corn-Revere, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's chief counsel, doesn't think it could pass a constitutional review because it could easily include popular shows like Game of Thrones. People who work in the adult industry have also spoken out strongly against it. Alana Evans, president of the Adult Performance Artists Guild, said that the bill is "a real problem" for sex workers and content creators, especially those who make money through sites like OnlyFans. The law could apply to "softcore" content, which could hurt a lot of creators. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 set to break records, and your wallet, in shocking US price hike What are the bigger political effects? The bill is very similar to the policy ideas in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which is a conservative plan for changing how the U.S. government works. Lee sees the measure as an attempt to change American internet standards when it comes to morality, especially when it comes to keeping kids safe from explicit content. Supporters say that the law would finally give police the clear guidelines they need to crack down on online obscenity in the digital age. Opponents say it's too much and could stifle LGBTQ+ voices, limit artistic expression, and force everyone in the country to follow the same moral code. ALSO READ: Who was Danielle Spencer, child star of the '70s sitcom, who passed away at 60? Is it possible for this bill to pass? The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation now has the bill. Its future depends on whether lawmakers can find a way to balance constitutional protections with calls for stricter content regulation. Even though it is still unclear if it will pass in a divided Congress, the proposal has already started a national conversation about where to draw the line between free speech and morality. FAQs What does Senator Mike Lee's bill aim to accomplish? It seeks to criminalize all pornography in the United States by redefining "obscenity" in federal law. What makes the bill controversial? Critics argue that its broad definition could jeopardize free speech and impact mainstream entertainment.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Republicans appeal to morality with porn ban bill. Will it turn off their base?
Republicans appeal to morality with porn ban bill. Will it turn off their base? | Opinion For a party that, until recently, struggled to connect with younger voters, it's a risky move to send the message: 'We trust you with guns – but not with Google' Show Caption Hide Caption Can legislation combat the surge of nonconsensual deepfake porn? Deepfake porn is now targeting middle school and high schoolers. Lawmakers are trying to fight it. Are you worried about paying your bills? Affording health care? Or watching democracy crumble like a Nature Valley granola bar? Well, never fear, Utah Senator Mike Lee is here to protect you from the real threat: your incognito tab. Yes, Lee and fellow Republican Rep. Mary Miller's Interstate Obscenity Definition Act would criminalize all pornography. The bill would create a national definition of obscenity under the Communications Act of 1934 and amend the Supreme Court's 1973 "Miller Test" for determining what qualifies as obscene. Content could be deemed obscene if it depicts or describes "actual or simulated sexual acts with the objective intent to arouse, titillate or gratify the sexual desires of a person." That's a definition so wide it could sweep up a whole lot of HBO shows with it. Aiming at base instincts could target prime GOP base Beyond that glaringly wide net of a definition, this seems like just another virtue signaling culture war proposal that will never actually make it to President Donald Trump's desk. But, then again, who knows. One of Project 2025's many goals was to permanently criminalize all pornography. So if this legislation were to actually gain momentum, we could witness the GOP alienate one of its newly secured voting blocs: chronically online young men. Since the November 2024 election, the conversation about young men's shift to the right has been written about ad nauseum. So much so, "manosphere" is likely in the running for Webster's 2025 Word of the Year. Opinion: The left trashes men endlessly. It's no wonder they chose Trump. We know that young men helped elect Trump. They're enmeshed in online political discourse. And yes – many of them are consumers of exactly the content this bill targets. The modern right wing movement has spent years cultivating this audience: through podcasts, YouTube influencers, "anti-woke" crusades and appeals to grievance politics. These young men have been told, repeatedly, that their frustrations with feminism, social progress and a rapidly changing culture are valid – and that the right will fight for them. But this bill does the opposite. It tells them: You, too, are the problem. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. It's hard to overstate how deeply ingrained online adult content is in the digital ecosystem these voters inhabit. Platforms like OnlyFans, PornHub and other streaming sites have become – whether we like it or not – a major outlet for young men who feel disconnected from traditional relationships and left behind economically. Taking that away, without offering anything in its place, is a recipe for alienation and backlash. And it's not just about habits or personal freedom. This is a policy so extreme that it risks turning a culture war into a self-inflicted political wound. Banning all porn doesn't just raise enormous First Amendment concerns – it invites backlash from libertarians, moderates, and yes, the online foot soldiers of the "anti-woke" movement. Opinion: This liberal influencer calls Democrats 'smug, disinterested.' He's right. Moral posturing means we don't have to address real issues Instead of focusing on real issues – economic insecurity, mental health, loneliness, sex education – this proposal feels like a distraction. A symbolic gesture that ignores root causes in favor of moral posturing. There are serious debates to be had about online content, consent, exploitation and mental health. But making millions of Americans potential criminals for what they watch in the privacy of their homes isn't policy. It's performative politics. And for a party that, until recently, struggled to connect with younger voters, it's a risky move to send the message: "We trust you with guns – but not with Google." The question isn't whether porn is good or bad. The question is whether the government should be the arbiter of morality and obscenity in the digital age. And if the GOP insists on fighting that battle, they may find their greatest casualty isn't just the adult entertainment industry – it's part of their own voter base. Kristin Brey a columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where this column originally appeared.
Indianapolis Star
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Pornhub is offline in Indiana. Republicans want to ban porn everywhere.
Are you worried about paying your bills? Affording health care? Or watching democracy crumble like a Nature Valley granola bar? Well, never fear, Utah Sen. Mike Lee is here to protect you from the real threat: your incognito tab. Yes, Lee and fellow Republican Rep. Mary Miller's Interstate Obscenity Definition Act would criminalize all pornography. Opinion: As Pornhub exits Indiana, online porn is still easy to find The bill would create a national definition of obscenity under the Communications Act of 1934 and amend the Supreme Court's 1973 'Miller Test' for determining what qualifies as obscene. Content could be deemed obscene if it depicts or describes 'actual or simulated sexual acts with the objective intent to arouse, titillate or gratify the sexual desires of a person.' That's a definition so wide it could sweep up a whole lot of HBO shows with it. Beyond that glaringly wide net of a definition, this seems like just another virtue signaling culture war proposal that will never actually make it to President Trump's desk. But, then again, who knows. One of Project 2025's many goals was to permanently criminalize all pornography. So if this legislation were to actually gain momentum, we could witness the GOP alienate one of its newly secured voting blocs: chronically online young men. Since the November 2024 election, the conversation about young men's shift to the right has been written about ad nauseum. So much so, 'manosphere' is likely in the running for Webster's 2025 Word of the Year. We know that young men helped elect Trump. They're enmeshed in online political discourse. And yes — many of them are consumers of exactly the content this bill targets. The modern right wing movement has spent years cultivating this audience: through podcasts, YouTube influencers, 'anti-woke' crusades and appeals to grievance politics. These young men have been told, repeatedly, that their frustrations with feminism, social progress and a rapidly changing culture are valid — and that the right will fight for them. But this bill does the opposite. It tells them: You, too, are the problem. It's hard to overstate how deeply ingrained online adult content is in the digital ecosystem these voters inhabit. Platforms like OnlyFans, PornHub and other streaming sites have become — whether we like it or not — a major outlet for young men who feel disconnected from traditional relationships and left behind economically. Taking that away, without offering anything in its place, is a recipe for alienation and backlash. And it's not just about habits or personal freedom. This is a policy so extreme that it risks turning a culture war into a self-inflicted political wound. Banning all porn doesn't just raise enormous First Amendment concerns — it invites backlash from libertarians, moderates, and yes, the online foot soldiers of the 'anti-woke' movement. Instead of focusing on real issues — economic insecurity, mental health, loneliness, sex education — this proposal feels like a distraction. A symbolic gesture that ignores root causes in favor of moral posturing. There are serious debates to be had about online content, consent, exploitation and mental health. But making millions of Americans potential criminals for what they watch in the privacy of their homes isn't policy. It's performative politics. Opinion: Trump secured the border. Legal battles distract from his success. And for a party that, until recently, struggled to connect with younger voters, it's a risky move to send the message: 'We trust you with guns— but not with Google.' The question isn't whether porn is good or bad. The question is whether the government should be the arbiter of morality and obscenity in the digital age. And if the GOP insists on fighting that battle, they may find their greatest casualty isn't just the adult entertainment industry — it's part of their own voter base.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Republicans Want To Make Pornography A Federal Crime, And People Immediately Pulled Out The Ted Cruz Jokes
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) reintroduced a bill earlier this month that would broadly redefine what content can be classified as 'obscenity' in an attempt to criminalize pornography, a move that's drawn comparisons to the right-wing initiative Project 2025. 'Obscenity isn't protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,' Lee said in a May 8 release introducing the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act. Related: People Who Voted For Trump Are Getting Very Honest About Donald Trump's Latest Truth Social Post Lee's bill has striking parallels to Project 2025, an initiative from the conservative Heritage Foundation that laid out policy blueprints for President Donald Trump's second term. Despite Trump's attempts to distance himself from Project 2025, he has placed key architects of the project into influential positions in the federal government. In the 920-page playbook, the Heritage Foundation claimed pornography 'has no claim to First Amendment protection' and should be outlawed, MSNBC reported. 'The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders. And telecommunications and technology firms that facilitate its spread should be shuttered,' text from Project 2025 reads. Lee's bill would broaden the legal definition of 'obscenity,' which is not protected by the First Amendment, to any material that 'appeals to the prurient interest' in nudity or sex, 'depicts, describes or represents' sexual acts and 'taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.' Any content that lawmakers feel meets the criteria could be defined as obscenity, meaning its transmission across state lines, including on the internet, could be criminalized under federal law. The bill's definition of obscenity is 'so broad' that it could apply to media like the HBO Max show Game of Thrones, Ricci Joy Levi, president of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, told Reason. Related: Donald Trump Was Completely Stumped By A Simple World Cup Question, And His Response Is Exactly What You'd Expect In an MSNBC op-ed, Jacob Mchangama and Ashken Kazaryan of the Vanderbilt University think tank The Future of Free Speech argued that the bill has implications that go way beyond pornography. 'It empowers the federal government to police speech based on subjective values,' they wrote. 'When lawmakers try to enforce the beliefs of some Americans at the expense of others' rights, they cross a constitutional line — and put the First Amendment at risk.' This is the second time Lee has introduced the bill. The legislation was first introduced in 2022, but failed to pass. Mike Stabile of the Free Speech Coalition, a nonprofit, non-partisan trade association for the adult industry, told Vice at the time that the organization saw the bill as a threat. 'Our members understand this for what it is: It's a threat to their business, to their livelihood. It's a threat to their community,' Stabile said. The bill's co-lead in the House is Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), who said in the announcement that the legislation would 'equip law enforcement with the tools they need to target and remove obscene material from the internet.' While critics of the legislation see it as a serious danger, many on the internet are making fun of the bill, some by recalling the time Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) liked a hardcore porn video on Twitter. @morgfair / @leftcoastbabe / X / Via @NoLieWithBTC / @chrisjollyhale / X / Via This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: "We Went From 'Lower The Price Of Eggs' To 'Lower Your Standard Of Living'": 39 Of The Best, Most Brutal, And Very Relatable Political Tweets Of The Month Also in In the News: A Republican's Response To A "Tax The Rich" Chant At His Town Hall Is Going Viral Also in In the News: "We Don't Import Food": 31 Americans Who Are Just So, So Confused About Tariffs And US Trade
Buzz Feed
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Pornography Would Become A Federal Crime Under GOP Bill
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) reintroduced a bill earlier this month that would broadly redefine what content can be classified as 'obscenity' in an attempt to criminalize pornography, a move that's drawn comparisons to the right-wing initiative Project 2025. 'Obscenity isn't protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,' Lee said in a May 8 release introducing the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act. Lee's bill has striking parallels to Project 2025, an initiative from the conservative Heritage Foundation that laid out policy blueprints for President Donald Trump's second term. Despite Trump's attempts to distance himself from Project 2025, he has placed key architects of the project into influential positions in the federal government. In the 920-page playbook, the Heritage Foundation claimed pornography 'has no claim to First Amendment protection' and should be outlawed, MSNBC reported. 'The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders. And telecommunications and technology firms that facilitate its spread should be shuttered,' text from Project 2025 reads. Lee's bill would broaden the legal definition of 'obscenity,' which is not protected by the First Amendment, to any material that 'appeals to the prurient interest' in nudity or sex, 'depicts, describes or represents' sexual acts and 'taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.' Any content that lawmakers feel meets the criteria could be defined as obscenity, meaning its transmission across state lines, including on the internet, could be criminalized under federal law. The bill's definition of obscenity is 'so broad' that it could apply to media like the HBO Max show Game of Thrones, Ricci Joy Levi, president of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, told Reason. HBO In an MSNBC op-ed, Jacob Mchangama and Ashken Kazaryan of the Vanderbilt University think tank The Future of Free Speech argued that the bill has implications that go way beyond pornography. 'It empowers the federal government to police speech based on subjective values,' they wrote. 'When lawmakers try to enforce the beliefs of some Americans at the expense of others' rights, they cross a constitutional line — and put the First Amendment at risk.' This is the second time Lee has introduced the bill. The legislation was first introduced in 2022, but failed to pass. Mike Stabile of the Free Speech Coalition, a nonprofit, non-partisan trade association for the adult industry, told Vice at the time that the organization saw the bill as a threat. 'Our members understand this for what it is: It's a threat to their business, to their livelihood. It's a threat to their community,' Stabile said. The bill's co-lead in the House is Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), who said in the announcement that the legislation would 'equip law enforcement with the tools they need to target and remove obscene material from the internet.' While critics of the legislation see it as a serious danger, many on the internet are making fun of the bill, some by recalling the time Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) liked a hardcore porn video on Twitter.
