Bill Overview
Title: SCREEN Act
Description: This bill requires certain interactive computer services that create, host, or otherwise make available pornographic content to use technologies to verify the age of users in order to prevent those under 18 years of age from accessing such content.
Sponsors: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Target Audience
Population: Minors attempting to access online pornography
Estimated Size: 20000000
- The bill targets users of pornographic websites, which is a large global user base.
- It specifically aims to prevent individuals under 18 years of age from accessing these sites.
- The platforms that host or share pornographic content will need to implement age verification technologies.
- Age restrictions will impact minors globally who attempt to access these services.
Reasoning
- I need to ensure a diverse representation of the U.S population to estimate the policy's impact, spanning over several ages and professions.
- Minors attempting to access adult content and directly affected by the policy should be the primary focus of interviews.
- Consider minors who actively seek out this content (higher policy impact) and those who do not (lower policy impact).
- Incorporate adult perspectives, as there may be changes in their content access or parental concerns.
- Include some unaffected individuals to account for general population diversity.
- Ensure representation from both rural and urban settings, considering location differences in internet access.
Simulated Interviews
Student (Austin, Texas)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's good if it stops younger kids accessing this stuff, but I trust myself to make the right choices.
- I'm worried about how this will affect what I can access online in general.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
High School Student (Rural Kansas)
Age: 17 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't really try to find that kind of content anyway, but I guess it could be harder to find some websites now.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
College Student (New York City, New York)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As an older sibling, I think it's a necessary step to protect teenagers, but I worry about privacy and data safety.
- I hope the policy encourages better internet behaviors among younger users.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
High School Student (San Francisco, California)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's going to make it tougher to access certain sites, which is frustrating but maybe good in the long run.
- I think my parents will feel better about me being online.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Psychologist (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've seen how exposure to inappropriate content can create unrealistic ideas in teens.
- I support measures to prevent underage access.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
IT Specialist (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could infringe on privacy and data security if not implemented correctly.
- I can see the positive side for protecting youth, but it must be balanced with privacy rights.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Middle School Student (Orlando, Florida)
Age: 13 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I heard my friends talking about sites that are going to become harder to check out.
- I'm mostly upset about restrictions affecting gaming sites accidentally.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Stay-at-home Parent (Seattle, Washington)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm relieved knowing my kids will be safer online.
- I do worry about how these policies are enforced and any unintended issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Teacher (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see potential for teaching moments here with my students about digital responsibility.
- It's important to enforce these kinds of regulations, although they need to be clear and fair.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
High School Graduate (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Age: 18 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Age verification can be annoying, but I see why it's being done.
- I'm curious about how it'll affect websites I visit frequently.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 2: $200000000 (Low: $160000000, High: $240000000)
Year 3: $200000000 (Low: $160000000, High: $240000000)
Year 5: $200000000 (Low: $160000000, High: $240000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Privacy concerns may arise regarding the collection and handling of users' age data.
- The bill implies significant technological adaptations by online service providers.
- Potential legal challenges concerning freedom of access and expression could influence implementation costs.
- User experience changes might impact adult site traffic, indirectly affecting revenues.