Blocking and Filtering Software is Ineffective

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today, Senator Mike Lee and I will reintroduce the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net Act, also known as the SCREEN Act.

The average age of a child's first exposure to pornography is 11 years old. Blocking and filtering software is ineffective, with nearly 80 percent of children and teens between the ages of 12 and 17 being exposed to pornography.

Not only has pornography become easier to access, but the content has descended further into violence and degradation, glamorizing assault, physical abuse, and nonconsensual acts.

As children become desensitized to depictions of sexual abuse, research indicates that adolescent users internalize and emulate these harmful behaviors.

Research reveals a list of psychological effects stemming from modern pornography on the developing brain include anxiety, addiction, low self-esteem, body-image disorders, an increase in problematic sexual activity in younger ages, and increased desire among minors to engage in risky sexual behaviors.

There are 16 States that have declared youth exposure to pornography to be a serious public health issue, and 19 States have enacted some form of website age verification requirement.

The Supreme Court is poised to rule on the Texas age verification law. Whether they apply strict scrutiny or a lower form of judicial review, it is abundantly clear that the SCREEN Act is the answer.

We must take decisive action to protect our children from the scourge of pornography. I urge the House and Senate to act swiftly in passing the SCREEN Act so that President Trump can sign it into law.

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