Oppose House Bill 4938: Protect Free Speech and Internet Freedom

I am writing to express my strong opposition to House Bill 4938, the "Anticorruption of Public Morals Act," which proposes a sweeping ban on pornography in Michigan. This bill, introduced by Rep. Josh Schriver and currently in the Committee on Judiciary, is an alarming overreach that threatens our fundamental right to free speech and internet freedom. The proposed legislation would criminalize the distribution of any "real, animated, digitally generated, written, or auditory" depictions of sexual acts, with severe penalties including up to 20 years in prison and $100,000 fines. Such broad restrictions are not only unconstitutional but also impractical to enforce. The bill's requirement for internet service providers to implement filters would create a dangerous precedent for online censorship and violate net neutrality principles. While the bill's sponsors claim to protect children and families, this approach is misguided and disproportionate. It conflates legal adult content with human trafficking, a separate and serious issue that requires targeted interventions. Moreover, the inclusion of content related to transgender individuals in the ban raises serious concerns about discrimination and the suppression of LGBTQ+ voices. If enacted, Michigan would become the first state with a total porn ban, setting a troubling precedent for government overreach into private lives and digital spaces. This legislation would likely face immediate legal challenges, wasting taxpayer resources on an unenforceable and unconstitutional law. I urge you to oppose House Bill 4938 and instead focus on evidence-based approaches to child protection that do not infringe on adults' rights to access legal content. We must defend the principles of free speech and resist attempts to use moral panic as a justification for censorship. Please vote against this bill and any similar measures that threaten our digital liberties.