The Senate Commerce Committee is set to consider a package of children's online safety bills on Wednesday, with age verification advocates viewing the markup as a pivotal moment for their long-running campaign. Among the five measures is the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, which would mandate that pornography websites deploy age verification technology to keep minors off their platforms.
Introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) nearly 18 months ago, the SCREEN Act has emerged as the most viable federal age verification proposal this session. While it stops short of broader measures like Lee's App Store Accountability Act, supporters argue it represents a significant breakthrough. "If it happens, it's going to be the most significant win in kids online safety to date," Jon Schweppe, senior adviser at the American Principles Project, told The Hill. "And so here we are. Eight years in the making. A couple steps away from age verification for adult websites becoming the law of the land," he added in an online post.
The markup comes as lawmakers grapple with how to protect minors online without infringing on adult speech and privacy. The debate has intensified this Congress, with bipartisan concern over children's exposure to harmful content, yet consensus on verification methods remains elusive. The SCREEN Act has drawn support from tech safety watchdogs but faces opposition from privacy groups, who warn of First Amendment and data security risks. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues such mandates "will force millions of adult internet users to give up their anonymity, privacy and security" to access lawful content. In a blog post, the group compared the requirement to showing an ID to a bouncer, but noted that digital verification services would capture personal information and store it indefinitely.
A rare legislative step
If enacted, the SCREEN Act would be the first federal age verification mandate to take effect in over two decades, assuming it survives legal challenges. The last attempt, the Child Online Protection Act of 1998, was struck down by courts on First Amendment grounds. Haley McNamara, executive director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, called the markup "a significant victory for federal legislators to listen to the people and advance the commonsense goal to prevent childhood exposure to pornography." She noted that over 20 states have already passed similar laws, reflecting growing public support.
However, the broader App Store Accountability Act, which would require app stores to verify users' ages and share that data with developers, has stalled in both chambers. Advocates remain optimistic, with McNamara stating: "We believe momentum for online safety is only building — no single bill is a silver bullet — and ASAA will play an important role in that growing mosaic of solutions."
Political dynamics and next steps
The issue does not split neatly along party lines, though Republicans have taken the lead on age verification. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has signaled support for the SCREEN Act, selecting it for Wednesday's markup. The five bills, including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and three AI-focused measures, are expected to clear committee, but their path beyond that is uncertain. The House companion to the SCREEN Act, introduced by Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), passed as part of the broader Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act last month, which bundled provisions from 14 separate bills.
With the August recess approaching, time is tight for Congress to pass any online safety legislation this year. Privacy hawks remain a vocal obstacle, echoing concerns that age verification could chill lawful speech and create new surveillance risks. As the markup nears, both sides are gearing up for a contentious floor fight, with advocates hoping that the SCREEN Act's narrow focus on adult sites will overcome the hurdles that have stymied broader reforms.
