CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginians would be required to provide some form of state-backed identification before accessing internet pornography under a bill passed by the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives on Monday. It is necessary to present a written document.
Sponsors say the bill, similar to one passed in Virginia last year, is aimed at preventing children from accessing harmful and explicit content. The proposal passed the House Judiciary Committee with little debate and will now be considered on the floor.
The bill would require companies with “content that is harmful to minors,” which accounts for a “substantial portion” of their website offerings, or more than 33%, to implement “reasonable age verification methods.” .
Content that is harmful to minors is defined as: “Applying contemporary community standards, the content as a whole is designed to appeal to or pander to the sexual interests of minors.” is defined as “content that the average person would judge.” . ”
The bill also includes a detailed list of sexual acts that would be restricted from being depicted.
Republican Rep. Geno Chiarelli, the lead sponsor, said the 33% provision is meant to “act as a buffer” against social media websites like X (formerly Twitter) that host adult content. It said pornography was not “the intent of the website.”
“That eliminates the need for us to require social media companies to go through the same types of certifications that Pornhub and others do,” he said.
Once users prove they are over 18, the company is no longer allowed to keep any personal information about them. This proposal does not apply to content published by news organizations.
People would be able to file civil lawsuits against companies that violate the bill.
