Utah Sen. Mike Lee Questions First Amendment Protections for Sexual Content

Utah Sen. Mike Lee Questions First Amendment Protections for Sexual Content

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah newspaper Deseret News has published an interview with U.S. Senator Mike Lee, in which he champions ongoing efforts to limit access to adult content online in the name of fighting “porn addiction.”

The newspaper praised the Utah Republican for taking on “the pornography issue” at the federal level.

In the interview, Lee bemoans the fact that “the First Amendment and the case law developed around it” make it difficult to reduce the “footprint” of adult content.

“Over the last roughly 30 years, Congress has tried to do something about this to protect young people from the dangers associated with having free access over the internet to porn,” Lee says. “A lot of those laws that have been passed by Congress have ultimately been invalidated by the Supreme Court under one theory or another.”

Several courts, including SCOTUS, have found that attempts by Congress to censor free speech concerning sexuality are unconstitutional.

Lee told Deseret News that his SCREEN Act — a proposed federal age-verification law that would expand Utah’s anti-porn legislation, promoted by religious conservatives, to the entire United States — was drafted to fall in “the sweet spot” to “pass constitutional muster.” 

“Under what’s known as the commercial speech doctrine, it gives more flexibility for government regulation, particularly for something like this, where there’s a legitimate, widely accepted public policy at issue,” Lee explained.

Lee identified the issue in question as a need for the U.S. government to “protect children who are uniquely vulnerable to the harms associated with pornography addiction.”

The notion of “porn addiction” has been widely debunked by health researchers.

Lee added it was easy for him to get Democrats behind his SCREEN Act because “it’s really hard for people to come out openly and oppose it.”

In the interview, Lee also promotes his PROTECT Act, which, as XBIZ reported, would effectively outlaw all sex work in the nation, including adult performance and content creation, by classifying any consent influenced by a person’s economic circumstances as coercive.

Lee added that his bills are an effective start to substantially reduce adult content online because, “The minute you start cracking down on this industry anywhere, I think it’s the minute that it gets easier to put a lot of these bad actors out of business.”

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

Asa Akira to Deliver XBIZ Talk at Miami Conference

XBIZ is pleased to announce that decorated performer, Pornhub brand ambassador, and author Asa Akira is set to deliver an exclusive talk at XBIZ Miami.

JustFor.fans Launches 'Fentanyl Test Strip' Initiative

JustFor.fans (JFF) has launched a test strip initiative to combat the nationwide fentanyl crisis.

2025 XBIZ Miami Speaker Lineup Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full speaker lineup for XBIZ Miami, the latest edition of the adult industry’s premier summer conference, set to take place May 19-22 at the Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach hotel in South Beach.

AV Bulletin: Arizona's About-Face, What New Laws Mean for Adult

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the United States. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, the U.K. and the EU are moving ahead with their own AV mandates and strategies, and legal challenges continue to play out in U.S. courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Million Billion Media Launches New Website

Management and PR agency Million Billion Media (MBM) has launched a new website.

'Neon Nightswim' Party Returns to XBIZ Miami

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the annual Neon Nightswim Pool Party will once again illuminate XBIZ Miami on Tuesday, May 20.

FSC Addresses UK Age Verification Guidelines

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an article offering guidance on the U.K.'s Online Safety Act and the various guidelines put forward by the country's telecommunications regulator Ofcom.The article follows:

European Commission Posts AV Guidelines, Seeks Feedback

The European Commission has made public its draft guidelines on protecting minors online under the Digital Services Act, including age verification requirements covering adult sites and platforms.

'White-Hot' Party Set to Kick Off XBIZ Miami

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the annual White-Hot Party, the official opening bash of XBIZ Miami, is set for Monday, May 19, at Mynt Lounge in South Beach.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for March, April

AEBN has released the top search terms for March and April from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Show More