SACRAMENTO — Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Alison Boden testified against AB 3080, the California version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
AB 3080 was introduced in the California Assembly by Republican Modesto Assemblymember Juan Alanis, a former law enforcement office, and was heard Tuesday in the Assembly’s Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection.
AB 3080 would require sites with more than one-third of “material harmful to minors” to scan government IDs or otherwise verify the identity of the user.
The bill was originally drafted by the socially conservative Citizens for Renewing America and is supported by religious groups including the California Catholic Conference and California Baptists for Biblical Values.
Despite widespread opposition from groups including Electronic Frontier Foundation, Woodhull Action Fund, Netchoice and an array of sex ed, LGBTQ+, reproductive rights advocates, a motion to pass it out of committee succeeded and AB 3080 will be heard by the Judiciary Committee.
Boden testified before the committee, explaining the technological, constitutional, and privacy-related issues inherent in online age-verification.
“Still, proponents of the bill came out in force, including the Age Verification Providers Association, Exodus Cry, and Concerned Women for America, who all testified in favor,” an FSC statement explained.
Boden described AB 3080 as “a terribly flawed bill that never should have advanced out of committee, especially not one focused on consumer privacy.
“If we’re going to defeat these dangerous, unconstitutional bills, we’re going to need to be there to make sure all of our voices are heard,” she added. “We have a strong base in this state, and we need all Californians to reach out to their legislators to let them know the issues with AB-3080.”
The FSC has set up a page for those who want to speak out against age-verification in California.
For more information, visit FreeSpeechCoalition.com.