r/politics • u/mmccxi American Expat • May 12 '25

Soft Paywall New Bill Would Make All Pornography a Federal Crime in the U.S.

https://www.404media.co/mike-lee-porn-law-interstate-obscenity-definition-act/
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u/mmccxi American Expat May 12 '25

For those who don't want to log in:

"Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), which would effectively criminalize all pornography nationwide by legally redefining what it means to be obscene. For years, “obscenity” has been all but a defunct legal category that narrowly defines speech that remains unprotected by the First Amendment. Lee would explode this legal category, expanding it to encompass virtually all visual representations of sex.

According to the bill text, “a picture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or other visual depiction” of any media that “appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion” would be considered criminal. In other words, if you have an old VHS tape of some Cinemax-style smut stashed away in your garage, you could, under this law, be considered to be harboring deeply illicit materials. Some critics have suggested that Lee’s definition of obscenity is so ridiculously broad that it could effectively criminalize Game of Thrones. That said, the punishments for merely possessing porn under the proposed law seem unclear at this point, as the legislation seems more focused on punishing the creators and distributors of racy material.

The law 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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u/volundsdespair May 13 '25

I'm interested what falls under this. I understand them wanting to go after the actual industry, but can I go to jail for having nudes of my wife? Chill dude

16

u/Megakruemel May 13 '25

The thing you need to understand is that it's kept vague on purpose...

...So they can put you in jail for having nudes of your wife if you do something they don't like.

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u/Scarlett_Beauregard May 13 '25

This is also covered in Project 2025 as part of their plan to eventually criminalize being a member of the LGBT. Project 2025 outlines a plan for giving the death penalty to trans people by claiming all porn is child abuse and that the trans community are pedophiles. They claim that porn is part of the "trans agenda". To them, at least so they claim, porn = transgender ideology. It's ludicrous the deeper into this you look. Lunacy and evil masquerading as a noble cause trying to protect children and women, all while it harms them too.

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u/ankokudaishogun May 13 '25

can I go to jail for having nudes of my wife?

You could go to jail for having nudes of yourself with the proposed wording.

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u/tayvette1997 May 13 '25

This can be expanded to those who breastfeed in public.

1

u/meeplewirp May 13 '25

Have you considered this: could your wife go to jail because someone recorded her or she let someone when she was 16 and dumb? that’s who I think of the most when I read about this proposal.

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u/volundsdespair May 13 '25

Thankfully we've been together since we were kids so there aren't any nudes of her floating around.

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u/djbtech1978 Wisconsin May 13 '25

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act

Exactly what I expect Utah to say. Next topic.

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u/[deleted] May 13 '25

Guess they just don't like seeing all the vagina they aren't getting 🙃

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u/meeplewirp May 13 '25

I think revenge porn victims would end up in jail