The 1st Amendment, as a principle, isn’t in the highest fashion these days, and “it’s for the children” excuses are often cover for overreach intended for other targets. Such censorious powers rarefy confine themselves to their original purported goals. The United Kingdom, for example, passed the “Online Safety Act” to allegedly stop minors from viewing naughty things on the internet; it is now being used to censor anything those in charge wish to censor. The U.K. has gone so far as to unveil plans for a “digital ID” that would enable government to track and record all your online activity, this time under the guise of fighting illegal aliens. Such a surveillance state has no limiting principles and will be misused. Sadly, this is not unique to the U.K.
A bill has been proposed in Michigan that goes so far as to not only ban naught pictures and videos, but also transgenders (outside of a narrow category of medical, instruction, or academic/peer-reviewed). This is par of the course, ‘twould seem these days, but this bill goes much, much farther: It establishes a “special internet content enforcement division to audit, investigate, and enforce compliance” against to any website or platform that is viewable within the state as well as ISPs! It even bans the the tools to evade this such as… VPNs!
“The legislation also demands that all websites, platforms, and ISPs operating in Michigan implement 24/7 automated surveillance and censorship systems to detect and remove flagged content immediately.
“Companies would be forced to revise their terms of service to explicitly ban the covered content and comply with real-time enforcement protocols.
“One of the most invasive aspects of the bill is its attack on VPN usage.
“House Bill 4938 would make it illegal to sell or use virtual private networks within Michigan and would require internet providers to block any VPN activity. Fines for violations related to VPN use could reach $500,000.
“VPNs are commonly used to secure online activity, prevent data collection, and protect users on public Wi-Fi. Criminalizing this technology would have widespread consequences for both individuals and businesses.
“While, technologically speaking, banning VPNs would be an almost impossible task, the sentiment is still troubling for free speech supporters.
“The bill makes no distinction between adults and minors when it comes to access. It applies to everyone in the state, regardless of age or consent, giving the government sweeping authority to regulate personal viewing habits, artistic expression, and the content people are allowed to publish or access online.”
With Britain sliding down that slippery slope of digital Big Brother at an exponential pace, we should take care to not make the same mistake.
The full bill as proposed can be read here or below:
