ID PLEASE: New Florida bill would require ID for internet porn

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — You have to show ID when buying cigarettes, alcohol and adult magazines.

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Now, a new bill filed in the Florida Capitol would also require you to submit an ID to access adult websites.

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The stated goal is to keep children from accessing the sites.

Anthony Verdugo with the Florida Christian Family Coalition has supported the push to remove inappropriate materials from school libraries and classrooms.

“Some books on library shelves cannot be read aloud in school board meetings among adults,” Verdugo said.

A common rebuttal to those complaints has been to point to children’s ability to access the internet, where porn, gore and adult content is readily available.

In general, adult websites may ask for you to confirm you’re over the age of 18, but they don’t typically do anything to ensure the answer given is truthful.

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The bill filed by State Senator Ileana Garcia (R-Miami) would require adult websites to verify a person’s age before allowing access to content harmful to minors, by checking for valid proof of identification like a driver’s license or state-issued ID.

“Our children don’t have a way to really protect themselves and so, as adults it’s our responsibility to set up these guardrails,” Verdugo said.

Duval residents we spoke with seemed to agree with the goal of the bill, but questioned whether it’s the correct way to deal with the problem.

“I think it could be pretty toxic, you know, for kids to be looking at stuff like that and I can definitely see what they’re trying to do. However I think for like adults it could be kind of a privacy issue,” one man named Ethan said in 5-points.

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“In this world of digital communication it’s hard to kind of monitor, but why not? Why not try it?” another Duval resident named Rachael said.

Verdugo agrees the bill could open the door for data leaks and other privacy concerns, but he doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing, as it could act as a deterrent for adults.

“There really is no argument to be made in support of porn. I mean it objectifies women and dehumanizes them,” Verdugo said.

Action News Jax reached out to Senator Garcia for comment on this story but didn’t hear back.

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The bill hasn’t been scheduled for any committee hearings yet and so far has not found a House companion.