Bill · S. 737· Senate(119-S-737)
SCREEN Act
- Introduced
- 2/26/2025
- Last activity
- 2/26/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Mike Lee
- Cosponsors
- - 4 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SCREEN Act requires certain interactive computer services to implement technology verification measures to ensure users are not minors. These "covered platforms" must use technology to verify a user's age and prevent minors from accessing content deemed harmful to them. The law mandates that simply asking a user to confirm they are not a minor is not enough to comply. The Federal Trade Commission will be responsible for enforcing these requirements and conducting audits. This legislation aims to protect the physical and psychological well-being of minors by restricting access to certain online content.
Yes
Would children be better off under this?+7
The bill aims to protect the physical and psychological well-being of minors by restricting access to harmful pornographic content.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+4
The bill mandates strict technology verification and data security to protect users from inappropriate content and data misuse.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+3
The bill requires the FTC to make public the terms and processes for audits of covered platforms.
The opposite
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?-5
The bill requires the collection and processing of user data, including IP addresses, to verify age.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?-2
The mandate for age verification may create additional friction and privacy concerns for young adult internet users.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Protection of Minors' Well-being: The bill seeks to protect the physical and psychological well-being of minors by shielding them from access to online pornographic content (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 1 and 2).
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Reduction of Negative Psychological Effects: By restricting access to certain content, the bill aims to address issues such as anxiety, addiction, low self-esteem, and body image disorders in minors (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 7).
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Data Security Requirements: The act requires covered platforms to establish and maintain reasonable data security to protect the confidentiality and integrity of technology verification measure data (Section 4, subsection f, paragraph 1).
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Data Minimization: The law mandates that technology verification measure data be retained for no longer than is reasonably necessary or minimally necessary to demonstrate compliance (Section 4, subsection f, paragraph 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Mandatory Verification for Users: All users of a covered platform, including their IP addresses, must be subject to the technology verification measure unless the platform determines the user is not in the United States (Section 4, subsection b, paragraph 4).
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Increased Data Collection: Users will have their information collected or processed through technology verification measures to determine if they are a minor (Section 3, paragraph 7; Section 4, subsection b, paragraph 1).
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Burden on Platforms via Third Parties: While platforms can use third parties for verification, the platform remains responsible for all obligations and liabilities under the Act (Section 4, subsection d).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+7Good For Young Adults-2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3Improves Privacy Rights-5
- 6/2/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/19/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/26/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Jim BanksRepublican · Indiana
John CurtisRepublican · Utah
James LankfordRepublican · Oklahoma
David McCormickRepublican · Pennsylvania