US state could block VPNs

Republican lawmakers in the US state of Michigan have introduced a bill that would ban online pornography and restrict the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). The proposal, entitled ‘The Anticorruption of Public Morals Act’, was introduced in the state legislature earlier this month.

The bill would prohibit any pornographic materials distributed on the internet, including those generated by artificial intelligence (AI). To prevent bypassing of restrictions, internet service providers would be obliged to actively monitor and block known circumvention tools such as VPNs and proxy servers.

Currently, there are no federal or state restrictions on VPN use in the US. No state has a full legal ban on adult pornography, with some states curbing access by employing measures such as age verification, obscenity laws, and filtering.

If the bill becomes law, violations could result in fines of up to $500,000 in some cases and/or up to 25 years in prison.

The legislation would also ban content where people represent themselves “to be of the other biological sex.”

Several laws have been proposed or enacted in other US states in recent years, limiting or prohibiting LGBTQ+ topics 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 moved to strip federal recognition of gender identities beyond male and female.

Michigan is a so-called swing state with a sizable conservative population and an equally strong liberal bloc. Its legislature is split, with Democrats holding the Senate and Republicans controlling the House. The state has recently seen a series of criminal and civil cases involving sexual abuse of minors and child pornography.

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