"HF1434, Minnesota's proposed age-verification bill, simply won't protect children. It mandates that websites hosting speech that is protected by the First Amendment for both adults and young people verify users' identities, often through government IDs or biometric data. The bill's definition of speech that lawmakers deem harmful to minors is notoriously broad—broad enough to sweep in lawful, non-pornographic speech about sexual orientation, sexual health, and gender identity."
"Age-verification laws like the Minnesota bill are already being used to block young LGBTQ+ people from exercising their First Amendment rights to access information that may be educational, affirming, or life-saving. State attorneys general have been almost jubilant about the ability to use these laws to restrict queer youth from accessing content, with prurient interest standards potentially classifying the very existence of transgender kids as harmful material."
Rep. Leigh Finke testified against Minnesota's HF1434, a bill requiring age verification through government IDs or biometric data to access certain online content. While supporting child safety goals, Finke argued the bill's definition of speech harmful to minors is dangerously broad, potentially restricting access to lawful content about sexual orientation, sexual health, and gender identity. She highlighted that similar age-verification laws are already being weaponized by state attorneys general to block LGBTQ+ youth from accessing educational and life-saving information. The malleable legal standard of prurient interest could classify the mere existence of transgender content as harmful. Despite evidence supporting her concerns, Finke faced attacks from conservative and religious groups who mischaracterized her testimony as not prioritizing child protection.
Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation
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