The SCREEN Act requires websites and services that host content harmful to minors to implement age verification technology. Sites must verify users are adults before granting access to inappropriate material, and must protect personal data collected during verification.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
The SCREEN Act requires websites and services that host content harmful to minors to implement age verification technology. Sites must verify users are adults before granting access to inappropriate material, and must protect personal data collected during verification.
Last updated: 1/5/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net Act or the SCREEN Act</strong><br/><br/>This bill establishes age-verification requirements for commercial interactive computer services (e.g., websites) that make available content that is harmful to minors (e.g., content that appeals to the prurient interest in nudity or sex, is obscene, or is child pornography).<br/><br/>Specifically, the bill requires such services to adopt and utilize technology verification measures to ensure that (1) users of the service are not minors, and (2) minors are prevented from accessing any content on the service that is harmful to minors.<br/><br/>Additionally, such services must (1) use the technology to verify a user's age; (2) publish the verification process that the service uses; and (3) subject users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, including known virtual proxy network (VPN) IP addresses, to the technology verification measures, unless the service determines a user is not located within the United States.<br/><br/>Covered services also must implement data security measures to protect information about individuals collected through the verification process.<br/><br/>The Federal Trade Commission must conduct regular audits of such services, issue guidance, and otherwise enforce the requirements of this bill.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Requires age verification for sites with content harmful to minors
Mandates technology to prevent minor access to inappropriate content
Requires publication of verification processes used
Applies to US-located users including those using VPNs
Directs FTC to conduct audits and enforce requirements
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
Children would face barriers accessing pornographic and other harmful content online. Adults would need to verify their age to access such sites. The FTC would gain enforcement authority over websites that fail to implement adequate age verification.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Commerce
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
737, 119th Congress (2025). "SCREEN Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-737
