Latest Section 230 Bill Proposal Seeks to Define Adult Content

Latest Section 230 Bill Proposal Seeks to Define Adult Content

WASHINGTON — In the middle of the COVID-19 public health crisis, and only days before the 2020 national election, representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has just introduced yet another legislative proposal aimed at ending Section 230 protections, and his CASE-IT Act has the distinction of attempting to define adult content in explicit and broad terms.

Steube, a Sarasota Republican, introduced his Section 230 bill into an ever-growing election-year smörgåsbord of proposals that seek to curtail Free Speech online and digital rights in the name of various causes. These now include:

  • The House version of the EARN IT Act, introduced by Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) and notorious anti-sex work crusader Ann Wagner (R-MO), one of the intellectual authors of FOSTA-SESTA
  • The “Don’t Push My Buttons” Act, introduced by Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) (9/29/20)
  • The “See Something Say Something” Act, introduced by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Cornyn (R-TX) (9/29/20)
  • A highly unusual “draft legislation recommendation” by William Barr’s Department of Justice (9/23/20)
  • The “Online Content Policy Modernization" Act (S.4632) introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) (9/21/20)
  • The “Online Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity" Act, introduced by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Graham and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) (9/8/20)
  • The PACT Act, introduced by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) (6/24/20)
  • Trump’s unprecedented “Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship” (5/28/20)
  • The EARN IT Act, introduced by Graham (3/5/20)

None of these proposals are identical, and all of them prioritize the specific interests of their sponsors, from Graham’s insistence in creating a new government bureaucracy to make decisions about what deserves protection from liability and what does not, to the folksy cluelessness of Senator John Kennedy’s bizarre obsession with mind control and manipulation, to the more bipartisan PACT Act, which many observers consider the "adults-in-the-room" option among this colorful carnival of election-year legislative ingenuity.

Defining 'Otherwise Harmful to Minors'

Steube’s bill, however has the distinction of crafting very specific (and also deliberately vague) language to regulate — with the clear, ultimate intent to suppress — adult content on the internet by effectively pressuring the platforms to effect preemptive censorship given their new exposure and liability.

Hiding behind a purported concern over “minors,” Steube’s CASE-IT Act seeks to suspend Section 230 protections for anyone who “permits or facilitates the distribution of content that (i) is indecent, obscene, or otherwise harmful to minors; and (ii) is made readily accessible to minors by the failure of such provider or user to implement a system designed to effectively screen users who are minors from accessing such content, to the extent feasible using technology available at the time of such distribution."

Steube’s bill then defines “harmful to minors” as “content [that] contains a description or representation of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse that— (A) predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors; (B) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and (C) is utterly without redeeming social importance for minors.”

An Army veteran, Rep. Steube’s congressional profile was, until today, characterized by military issues, agricultural issues and a staunch opposition to both the rights of immigrants and abortion rights.

This appears to be a rare time when Rep. Steube has weighed in on First Amendment issues, internet law or the right to free sexual expression involving consenting adults.

It is also unclear what Rep. Steube means by "the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors," or why he is so preoccupied with such a thing.

CASE-IT Act by Rep. Greg Steuben (R-Fla.)

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Against 'Debanking'

The White House on Thursday issued an executive order limiting financial institutions’ ability to restrict access to financial services for people or groups involved in lawful industries, a longtime goal of adult industry advocates and stakeholders.

Go.cam Launches Free Age Verification Solution, Anti-Fraud Features

Go.cam has announced that its age verification solution is now free with updated anti-fraud and identity protection features.

Florida AG Sues EU-Based Adult Companies for Failing to Age-Verify Users

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida against five EU-based adult companies for allegedly failing to require age verification before allowing access to adult content.

SkyPrivate Launches 'Telegram Pay-Per-Minute' Feature

SkyPrivate has launched a new pay-per-minute (PPM) private show option on Telegram.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Money and Mental Health' Online Event

Pineapple Support is hosting a free, online event to help performers balance financial wellbeing with mental health, Aug. 18-19.

Arcom Warns 5 Adult Sites Over Age Verification

French media regulator Arcom has sent enforcement notices to the operators of five adult websites that the agency says have failed to implement age verification as required under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

MojoHost Debuts NVIDIA Blackwell-Powered Hosting

MojoHost has announced the launch of NVIDIA Blackwell-powered hosting featuring RTX 6000 Pro MaxQ GPUs.

FSC: Identity Theft Targeting Adult Performers

The Free Speech Coalition has put out an alert warning of an individual found to be targeting adult performers for identity theft.

Assylum.com Implements New Age Verification System

Assylum.com has introduced an age verification system across its member sites.

European Commission to Assess Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX Compliance With Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to conduct a study to determine how well adult sites Pornhub, XVideos and XNXX are addressing illegal content and other potential harms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

Show More