Dem wants barriers to minors buying online porn, tax for Internet sales

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) is preparing a bill aimed at making it challenging for minors to access online pornography. 

He is preparing legislation mandating that adult sites use age verification software before selling online pornography, just as online alcohol retailers do. 

{mosads}He also wants a 25 percent tax on online pornography sales, which would be used to fund enforcement efforts.

“People say, ‘Oh, there are going to be ways to get around it.’ I understand, but I think we need to make the effort to do what we can, and I’m not going to sit back and do nothing,” Matheson told the Utah outlet Deseret News. 

Matheson, an Energy and Commerce Committee member, has previously introduced language to prevent minors from accessing pornography, according to the report.

“I think it’s incumbent on us to not throw up our hands and say, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s such a dispersed problem — there’s nothing we can do.’ ” he said. “Well, let’s look at what we can do, make some progress. It may not get to the finish line, but let’s make some progress.”

In Matheson’s view, cell phones can make it tougher to keep an eye on what kids are doing online. According to the report, he held up his Blackberry and said, “Everyone says ‘keep your computer in the family room so you can see what your kids are doing.’ Guess what? They’re all walking around with one of these now. It’s not in the living room anymore.”

He also made the point that pornography is restricted in brick-and-mortar stores, and the same standard should be upheld on the Internet. 

Also preparing a kid-centric online safety bill is Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who is taking on the separate concern of online behavioral tracking.