In a near-unanimous vote on Thursday, the Indiana Senate approved legislation requiring online pornography purveyors to verify would-be viewers’ ages.
“We have children who have seen hardcore content before they have their first kiss,” bill author Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, said.
His Senate Bill 17 would require that “adult-oriented websites” hosting explicit materials — such as pornography or other “material harmful to minors” — verify a user’s identity before allowing access.
That could be by scanning a driver’s license or registering with a third-party verification service.
Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said there are age minimums on other forms of explicit content, like mature-rated moves or a “dirty magazine.”
He called the current handling of online pornography a “big loophole.”
Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, said he’d had a lobbyist that morning trying to convince him that it was a parent’s duty to prevent their underage children from accessing explicit content — and that he agreed.
But, he said, parents similarly have a responsibility to keep minor children from consuming alcohol, but “we still ask people to show their ID before serving them.”
Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, said the bill didn’t have enough “guardrails.”
He raised concerns about how securely the proof of age documents will be treated, especially since many of the companies carrying out verification are foreign.
He also the bill could cause explicit content providers to pull out of Indiana, as Pornhub has already done in multiple states.
“What about those law-abiding citizens who should be able to enjoy these sites because they are adults?” Taylor asked.
The chamber passed the bill in a 44-1 vote, with Taylor the sole opponent.
The bill now begins the three-part legislative process in the House.
By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz – The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.
