Show-Me Pr0n Age Check Legislative Theater

Context for our discussion . . .

Not so long ago the most popular "adult" search term ranking in Missouri was "accidental creampie."

This data-driven journalism signals to us that there's a great deal of hypocrisy when it comes to the online smut game.

Whilst anti-pr0n legislation is trendy amongst moralizing politicos . . . Online stats show us that demand for nasty content in the Heartland is overwhelming . . . Even worse, politicos underestimate how easy tech can bypass all but the most draconian age-check software. For instance, most online content is sponsored by VPN companies that were built specifically for working around these kind of annoying security half-measures. 

Still . . . 

Whilst the advancement of these crackdowns is unlikely and, even worse, ineffective at accomplishing anything but restricting free speech . . . Here's a look at Missouri's move against pr0n in Jeff City: 

A trio of nearly-identical bills have been proposed by Republican state Reps. Brad Banderman of St. Clair, Sherri Gallick of Belton and Mike McGirl of Petosi targeting adult websites like Pornhub, YouPorn, xHamster, XVideos and others.

Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Doug Beck of Affton introduced age verification legislation specifically dealing with online adult dating platforms. Originally, Beck filed an age verification bill targeting pornographic material, similar to the House proposals, but withdrew it, citing errors in the drafting process, according to a spokesperson for the Missouri Senate Democratic Caucus.

A similar bill was proposed during the 2023 legislative session by Republican Sen. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville. He introduced the same bill again this year, targeting age verification through a different measure: regulating internet service providers.

Brattin’s approach to restricting underage access would require an opt-in or opt-out for internet subscribers to enable top-level filters of sites that are viewed as “obscene.”

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Missouri bills requiring age verification for porn websites spark civil liberties concerns

A trio of nearly-identical bills in the Missouri General Assembly would restrict access to adult websites like Pornhub, while another bill targets online adult dating platforms. Proponents say the goal is to protect children from inappropriate content, but critics say the rules might violate the First Amendment.