Ohio Rep. Steve Demetriou, R-Bainbridge Township, announced on Oct. 11 that he had introduced House Bill (HB) 295. Dubbed the Innocence Act, Rep. Demetriou’s bill would implement an age verification requirement similar to what has already been implemented in states with legislatures controlled by the Republican Party, like in Ohio.
“Introducing criminal penalties for failing to verify a user’s age is a significant First Amendment violation… And, of course, this law would impact all people – not just minors.”
“It’s a shame that once again, a lawmaker with nothing more than a clearly religious right-wing agenda is behind a proposed bill that ignores the First Amendment and established case law from the United States Supreme Court,” said Corey Silverstein in an email to Scene. What’s more alarming to Silverstein is that additional language in House Bill 295 creates a misdemeanor for anyone circumventing the age block from the side of the user – namely, teenagers who might be curious. How would someone get around an age block? Virtual private networks are one such way an individual can circumvent an age block or any sort of verification requirement.
“Rep. Demetriou’s claims about pornography are false and harmful,” Salley told Scene. In his press release announcing House Bill 295, Demetriou alleges that the adult entertainment industry is linked to organized criminal activity, like human trafficking.
Salley also voiced concerns that the age verification legislation violates the complex privacy rights adults and minors have today. Kelley referred to the history of litigation these bills have. The Free Speech Coalition, an adult entertainment industry advocacy organization, filed three federal lawsuits in Utah, Louisiana, and Texas. Federal district judges inand Louisiana dismissed the lawsuits on technical grounds. But the lawsuit in Texas has garnered national attention.
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