Several Mountain West states, including Utah, Montana, and Idaho, are taking steps to prevent minors from accessing pornography online. These states have passed laws requiring adult content sites to verify age, following the lead of almost 20 other states. The verification process involves checking IDs or using methods like facial recognition. Proponents of these laws argue that children are being exposed to obscene material and should be protected, while opponents claim that the laws violate privacy and free speech rights.
In Wyoming, a bill, HB 43, has been passed by the state House and is awaiting consideration in the Senate. Some critics of the bill, like the Wyoming Library Association, worry that it is too broad and could limit access to certain content and impose financial burdens on libraries. Despite legal challenges in other states, the push for age verification laws continues.
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deliberating on a similar Texas law and is expected to make a decision this summer. The debate over online content regulation continues as states grapple with the balance between protecting minors and upholding constitutional rights. This article is a product of the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration of various public media outlets in the region with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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