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Congress·In Committee·3 months ago

House Committee Reviews SCREEN Act to Require Real Age Checks on Adult Content Sites

Also known as: SCREEN Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impacts

Mixed Impacts(2)
Child Tax Credit
Neutral
Student
Neutral

Key Points

  • Would require online platforms that make money from adult sexual content to use age-check technology to keep minors out.
  • Self-check boxes like “I’m over 18” would not count; platforms would need a real verification process and must publicly describe how it works.
  • Platforms would have to run age checks on users’ IP addresses, including known VPN/proxy IPs, unless the platform can tell the user is outside the U.S.
  • The Federal Trade Commission would audit platforms, issue non-binding guidance within 180 days of the law taking effect, and enforce violations like other consumer protection cases.
  • Platforms (or their contractors) would have to protect age-check data and keep it only as long as needed to run verification or show they followed the law.
Consumer ProtectionData PrivacyTechnology

Milestones

3 milestones5 actions
Dec 11, 2025House

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Dec 11, 2025House

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Feb 26, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.

Feb 26, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Feb 26, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Within 180 days after the law is signed

FTC issues compliance guidance for covered platforms

Platforms get clearer instructions on how the FTC expects audits and compliance proof to work, which can shape what age-check methods you see online.

1 year after the law is signed

Covered platforms start requiring age verification for U.S. users

If you try to use a covered site/app, you may have to verify you’re an adult. Minors may be blocked from the platform or from harmful content areas.

Starting when the 1-year compliance deadline hits

Covered platforms apply age checks to IP addresses, including known VPN/proxy IPs

People using VPNs may see more blocks or extra verification steps when accessing covered platforms in the U.S.

Around and after the 1-year compliance deadline

FTC begins regular audits of covered platforms

Platforms that don’t follow the rules could face enforcement actions, which may push more sites to add stricter age gates quickly.

2 years after platforms are required to comply (about 3 years after the law is signed)

GAO publishes a report on whether age verification is working and what side effects it causes

Congress and the FTC could use the findings to tighten rules, change enforcement, or revise the law based on real-world results (including privacy and security concerns).

Related News

5 articles
Lawfare·6 days ago

Toward a Federal Framework for Online Age Assurance

The SCREEN Act requires age verification at the platform level for services hosting content harmful to minors. It envisions a narrow, platform-level obligation that functions as a backstop for web services that app stores do not reach, requiring methods that prohibit minor access with certainty.

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Axios·8 months ago

Tech: Age verification momentum

Sen. Mike Lee's SCREEN Act, which would require all porn sites to verify age, mostly resembles the Texas law that passed muster in the Supreme Court. Lawmakers said SCOTUS' vindication of age verification should propel Congress to act on a federal standard.

CL=
Politico·3 months ago

House committee to mark up package of kids safety bills on Thursday

The House Energy and Commerce committee is looking to advance 18 bills focused on children's online safety and privacy, including H.R. 1623, the Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, which mandates age verification for adult content.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

SCREEN Act

Bill NumberHR 1623
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionForwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(25)
R: 25

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.