The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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MADISON, Wis. — Lawmakers in the Wisconsin state legislature are gradually advancing an age verification bill that not only targets adult entertainment websites but also includes provisions restricting the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). The most recent movement on the proposal occurred during a state Senate committee meeting on Oct. 8.
The measure to limit VPN usage stems from two companion bills, Assembly Bill 105 and Senate Bill 130, both introduced exclusively by Republican lawmakers. Since the GOP controls both chambers of the legislature, the proposal stands a strong chance of passing in some form through the Assembly and Senate.
What remains uncertain, however, is how Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will respond if the bill reaches his desk—whether he would sign it into law or veto it. Taken together, AB 105 and SB 130 represent the latest effort to criminalize or restrict the use of commercially available VPNs when used to bypass age verification systems.
In neighboring Michigan, a group of far-right legislators recently proposed an even more extreme measure: a total ban on pornography that initially sought to outlaw VPNs and proxy tools.
Rep. Josh Schriver, who sponsored House Bill 4938, titled the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act, described the bill as a “public decency and public safety solution” aimed at curbing access to what he considers harmful online content. However, following public and stakeholder backlash, Schriver announced that he would amend the measure to remove any language referencing VPNs and proxy restrictions.
The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), a trade group for the age-verification sector, has long been criticized for sending mixed messages about VPNs. While its executive director, Iain Corby, has said the organization does not oppose VPNs, he has also stopped short of clarifying how they factor into bypassing age verification systems.
Across the Atlantic, similar discussions are taking place in the United Kingdom, where regulators are considering age verification requirements for VPN services. Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, told BBC’s Newsnight program in August that current age verification provisions under the Online Safety Act are “essentially useless,” given how easy it is for minors to download and use VPNs.
“Of course, we need age verification on VPNs—it’s absolutely a loophole that needs closing, and that’s one of my major recommendations,” de Souza said during the interview.
