Summary
This bill establishes age-verification requirements for websites that publicize harmful content for minors. This content is defined as images or videos which are obscene or pornographic in nature. This bill requires websites displaying such material to establish transparent age verification procedures to ensure that minors on the platform are protected from viewing it. The Federal Trade Commission is in charge of enforcing compliance, conducting audits, and issuing guidance to assist platforms (websites). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will issue a report two years post-implementation to assess the effectiveness and compliance of these measures.
Goals
- To protect kids from exposure to adult websites/nudity
- To provide a framework for other federal age verification bills
- To combat porn addiction and to improve children’s mental health
Analysis
The SCREEN Act is an excellent step forward in protecting kids from pornographic material and places the burden on website managers to step up and implement robust age verification measures. These measures can always be taken further, through additional website blocking on state servers and social media content blockers for minors.