A proposed porn ban moving through Michigan’s legislature is drawing attention less for what it targets than for how far it’s willing to go. Tucked inside the bill is an aggressive attempt to police not just adult content, but the tools people use to access the internet itself.
The measure, called the Anti-Corruption of Public Morals Act, explicitly targets VPNs, proxy servers, and other so-called “circumvention tools.” Introduced as House Bill 4938 by far-right Republicans in the Michigan House and sponsored by Josh Schriver, the bill defines these tools so broadly that it effectively treats privacy and encryption as suspect behaviors.
In practice, HB 4938 wouldn’t just restrict porn—it would cast a legal shadow over technologies used every day for security, remote work, journalism, and basic online privacy. Critics argue the bill collapses any distinction between bypassing content filters and protecting personal data, turning routine internet use into a potential offense.
The response from the adult industry has been swift. Michigan-based attorney Corey Silverstein called the proposal a waste of taxpayer money and warned it collides head-on with constitutional protections around free expression and lawful internet use. Others note that targeting VPNs pushes the bill far beyond moral regulation and into direct control of digital infrastructure.
Whether HB 4938 advances or quietly dies, its significance is clear. This isn’t just about porn—it’s about access. The bill reflects a growing willingness among lawmakers to move past regulating what people see online and toward controlling how they connect at all, a shift with implications well beyond Michigan.
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