(AURN News) — Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has formally introduced legislation aimed at redefining how “obscenity” is treated under federal law — potentially laying the groundwork for banning pornography nationwide.
The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act amends the Communications Act of 1934 to create a uniform legal definition of “obscenity” across state lines. According to Lee’s office, the goal is to make it easier to prosecute the transmission of obscene material both between states and from abroad.
“Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,” Lee said in a statement. “Our bill updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted.”
The bill defines “obscene” content as visual material that:
- “taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion”;
- “depicts, describes, or represents an actual or simulated sexual act… with the objective intent to arouse, titillate, or gratify the sexual desires of a person”;
- and “taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
The legislation would also strike the phrase “with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass another person” from a section of the Communications Act dealing with obscene or harassing phone calls and transmissions.
According to The Daily Caller, the bill “would pave the way for the prosecution of obscene content disseminated across state lines or from foreign countries and open the door to federal restrictions or bans regarding online porn.”
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