Washington State Considers Digital ID Check for Adult Content Access Residents of Washington state may soon need to present a digital ID to access many websites. A new bill introduced in the state legislature aims to restrict minors from viewing online sexual material, joining a growing national trend. State Representative Mari Leavitt introduced House Bill 2112, known as the Keep Our Children Safe Act. The proposal would require websites with a significant portion of content deemed harmful to minors to implement robust age verification systems. For users in Washington, this could mean providing a form of digital identification or submitting a government-issued ID through a third-party verification service. The bill targets any online platform where more than one-third of its content is classified as sexual material harmful to minors. Websites failing to comply with the new verification rules would face enforcement action from the state attorney general, including substantial civil penalties. This legislative move mirrors laws already enacted in several other states, such as Texas and Louisiana. The Texas law, which took effect in late 2023, was recently left in place by the U.S. Supreme Court, giving momentum to similar proposals nationwide. However, the Washington bill is facing criticism from civil liberties and privacy advocates. Groups including the ACLU, the Lavender Rights Project, and the Northwest Progressive Institute have raised concerns during public hearings. Their primary objections focus on the potential privacy risks of collecting sensitive government ID data and the vague definition of what constitutes harmful sexual material within the bill’s text. Opponents argue that mandating users to submit official identification to access parts of the internet sets a concerning precedent and creates attractive targets for data hackers. They also warn that the broad language could lead to excessive censorship beyond the stated intent of protecting children. As the bill progresses through the committee process, it highlights the ongoing national debate over online safety, age restrictions, and digital privacy rights.
