Michigan legislators have introduced a bill aiming to prohibit online pornography and curb the use of circumvention tools
Republican lawmakers in the US state of Michigan have put forward a bill that would ban internet pornography and restrict the deployment of virtual private networks (VPNs). The proposed legislation, titled ‘The Anticorruption of Public Morals Act’, was introduced in the state legislature earlier this month.
The bill would forbid all pornographic materials distributed online, including those created using artificial intelligence (AI). To prevent the bypassing of these restrictions, internet service providers would be required to actively monitor and block known circumvention tools such as VPNs and proxy servers.
Currently, there are no federal or state limitations on VPN usage in the US. No state has a complete legal prohibition on adult pornography, though some states manage access through measures like age verification, obscenity laws, and content filtering.
Should the bill become law, violations could lead to fines of up to $500,000 in certain instances and/or imprisonment for up to 25 years.
The proposed legislation would also outlaw content where individuals portray themselves “to be of the other biological sex.”
Several laws have been proposed or enacted in other US states in recent years, either limiting or prohibiting LGBTQ+ subjects in schools, libraries, and sometimes at public events.
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has moved quickly to roll back pro-LGBTQ+ policies, insisting on what he calls a return to “biological truth.” His administration has also initiated steps to remove federal recognition of gender identities beyond male and female.
Michigan is often referred to as a swing state, possessing a significant conservative population alongside an equally strong liberal bloc. Its legislature is divided, with Democrats holding control of the Senate and Republicans leading the House. The state has recently experienced a series of criminal and civil cases involving the sexual abuse of minors and child pornography.