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Pornography could become a new crime. Where? In Iran? In Saudi Arabia? In Afghanistan? No, in the United States. In the country that for many represents the symbol of personal freedom. And it is not just a strange idea circulating in America's most clerical and conservative circles, those that constitute one of the largest bases of support for Donald Trump, but an official bill introduced by Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, one of the most prominent figures revolving around the former president.
Lee's initiative is not a random gamble, but the concretization of one of the points of "Project 2025", the governance plan drafted by the "Heritage Foundation", the largest think tank of the American right, today completely oriented towards Trumpian extremism.
What is considered "shameful"?
That pornography and "shame" are synonymous for Mike Lee and the Heritage Foundation is evident in the very name of the bill – the "Interstate Obscenity Definition Act" (IODA) – which aims to ban pornography at the federal level, in all 50 states of America, by rewriting the concept of "shame", which has so far been protected by the broad interpretation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
According to the text of the bill, “a photograph, an image, a graphic file, a film, a videotape or any other visual representation” that “incites an unhealthy interest in nudity, sex or excrement” would be considered illegal.
If the bill is passed – although the legislative process has not yet begun – the entire pornography market in the US would be forced to close. And that's no small feat: in the US alone, the pornography industry is estimated to have a turnover of 10 to 15 billion dollars a year.
Even "Game of Thrones" could be banned
“Indecency is not protected by the First Amendment, but vague and unenforceable definitions have allowed extreme pornography to spread throughout American society and reach many children,” Senator Mike Lee said in a press release. “Our bill updates the legal definition of indecency for the internet age, so that this content can be removed and its distributors prosecuted.”
According to critics, the definition of "shame" in the IODA bill is so broad that even series like "Game of Thrones" or many films with explicit scenes would risk being banned.
Project 2025's anti-pornography campaign
The campaign against pornography is not new, but it is now embraced by Trump’s inner circle and promoted by “Project 2025.” In the “Mandate for Leadership” policy agenda drafted by the Heritage Foundation, pornography is described as “the spread of transgender ideology and the sexualization of children,” suggesting that “those who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned” and that “tech companies that facilitate its spread should be shut down.”
Before Mike Lee's bill, 17 US states had already passed bans or restrictions on pornography, issues that are still the subject of legal battles. Due to these stricter laws, several pornographic sites, including Pornhub, have suspended services to users in states such as Texas, Louisiana, Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Virginia and North Carolina. / Adapted from Corriere Della Sera
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