A New Frontier in Censorship: Conservative Lawmakers Push for Porn Taxes
Utah's recent push to impose a 7 percent tax on all porn sites operating within the state is just the latest salvo in a broader effort by conservative lawmakers to restrict access to adult content. The legislation, which has been met with widespread criticism from free speech advocates and industry experts alike, would also require adult sites to pay an annual fee of $500 to the State Tax Commission.
The proposal comes as age-verification laws continue to dismantle the adult industry, raising questions about the constitutionality of such laws. Critics argue that these regulations are a thinly veiled attempt to scrub porn from the internet, rather than protecting children from its content. As one expert noted, "This kind of porn tax is blatantly unconstitutional... It singles out a particular type of protected speech for disfavored treatment."
Utah's Republican lawmakers have long been vocal about their concerns regarding adult content. In 2016, Governor Gary Herbert signed a resolution declaring porn a public health crisis. While proponents argue that the tax revenue generated by these laws will be used to fund behavioral health services, critics contend that such measures are an overreach of government power and will disproportionately harm the adult industry.
Industry experts also point out that targeted taxes have failed to gain widespread approval due to the ongoing debate about their constitutionality. In 2022, a report from Common Sense Media found that 73 percent of teens aged 13-17 had accessed adult content online, highlighting the need for more nuanced approaches to regulating these platforms.
The push for porn taxes also reflects a broader shift in American conservatism towards restricting access to sex work and adult entertainment. Critics argue that such measures are an attempt to punish sexual expression and limit free speech. As Mike Stabile, director of public policy at the Free Speech Coalition, noted, "When we talk about free speech, we generally mean the freedom to speak... But in this case, free also means not having to pay for the right to do so."
As lawmakers continue to push for these measures, they risk setting a dangerous precedent for government overreach and censorship. As Stabile warned, "Porn isn't some magical category of speech separate from movies, streaming services, or other forms of entertainment... Adult businesses already pay taxes on the income they earn. Taxing them because of imagined harms is not only dangerous to our industry, it sets a dangerous precedent for government power."
Utah's recent push to impose a 7 percent tax on all porn sites operating within the state is just the latest salvo in a broader effort by conservative lawmakers to restrict access to adult content. The legislation, which has been met with widespread criticism from free speech advocates and industry experts alike, would also require adult sites to pay an annual fee of $500 to the State Tax Commission.
The proposal comes as age-verification laws continue to dismantle the adult industry, raising questions about the constitutionality of such laws. Critics argue that these regulations are a thinly veiled attempt to scrub porn from the internet, rather than protecting children from its content. As one expert noted, "This kind of porn tax is blatantly unconstitutional... It singles out a particular type of protected speech for disfavored treatment."
Utah's Republican lawmakers have long been vocal about their concerns regarding adult content. In 2016, Governor Gary Herbert signed a resolution declaring porn a public health crisis. While proponents argue that the tax revenue generated by these laws will be used to fund behavioral health services, critics contend that such measures are an overreach of government power and will disproportionately harm the adult industry.
Industry experts also point out that targeted taxes have failed to gain widespread approval due to the ongoing debate about their constitutionality. In 2022, a report from Common Sense Media found that 73 percent of teens aged 13-17 had accessed adult content online, highlighting the need for more nuanced approaches to regulating these platforms.
The push for porn taxes also reflects a broader shift in American conservatism towards restricting access to sex work and adult entertainment. Critics argue that such measures are an attempt to punish sexual expression and limit free speech. As Mike Stabile, director of public policy at the Free Speech Coalition, noted, "When we talk about free speech, we generally mean the freedom to speak... But in this case, free also means not having to pay for the right to do so."
As lawmakers continue to push for these measures, they risk setting a dangerous precedent for government overreach and censorship. As Stabile warned, "Porn isn't some magical category of speech separate from movies, streaming services, or other forms of entertainment... Adult businesses already pay taxes on the income they earn. Taxing them because of imagined harms is not only dangerous to our industry, it sets a dangerous precedent for government power."
this whole porn tax thing is so 2022 . Like, what's next? Are we gonna pay taxes on YouTube vids or something? 
It's just another way for politicians to try and control what we watch online. And let's be real, they're not even doing it for the kids - that's just a cop-out excuse. The adult industry is already heavily regulated, so if they want to crack down, they should focus on actual issues like underage exploitation, not targeting legit businesses over some conservative agenda 
.
im all 4 free speech and individual rights, u know? 
I don't know what's more concerning - that people are actually pushing for porn taxes 
.
. It's not like they're the ones pushing for these ridiculous taxes 
. And what's with the whole "punishing sexual expression" narrative? 
?
.
. Like, aren't we already over-regulating the internet enough? It feels like these lawmakers are just trying to restrict access to adult content because they don't agree with what's being shared online. And let's be real, sex work is still a super stigmatized industry - it's not like this tax is gonna magically make people who engage in it stop. 
.
I mean, we're talking about a fundamental right here. You can't just tax someone because you don't like what they're doing. It's like taxing music or movies because they have explicit content... no way! 
It's all about setting a precedent for government overreach and censorship. We gotta be careful with this stuff, folks! 
Newsflash: sex work and adult entertainment aren't going away, so might as well get on board the internet already! 
It's all about finding a balance, right?
! They're trying to control what we can and can't watch online, and now they want to slap a tax on porn sites? That's just too convenient 
They're worried about children or whatever, but honestly it's just a way to control what we can and can't watch online 
. This whole thing just reeks of censorship and government overreach 
. The real question is, where do they draw the line? Is it a tax on any kind of "objectionable" content? 
. And now these lawmakers want to slap a tax on it? That's just lazy lawmaking 
.
. I mean, sure, sex education is important and all 
, but do we really need the government telling us what's "acceptable" content? 
It just feels like they're trying to impose their own moral code on us 
.
? It's just not right 
.
. But seriously, folks, this whole thing just smells like censorship. Like, what's next? Paying more taxes for watching cartoons or something? 
