Bills to protect children from inappropriate, obscene material signed

Gov. Tate Reeves has signed two bills that protect children from accessing obscene, inappropriate, and pornographic materials.

Governor Reeves signed Senate Bill 2346 which regulates pornographic media exposure online and requires commercial entities that provide such content to have age verification systems in place.

He also signed House Bill 1315 which regulates pornographic media exposure in K-12 schools, including digital and online resources provided by vendors to children as young as kindergartners.

“With the rise of technology and social media, it has never been easier for children to access pornographic materials,” said Gov. Reeves. “That can have really disastrous effects on children’s long-term mental health and development. I can only imagine how tough it is to be a child in today’s society. It seems like everywhere you turn, social media and the entertainment industry are pushing hypersexualized content on the youngest members of our society. We’re going to push back on that in Mississippi. That’s why I signed this legislation that will make our kids safer.”

Campaigns by parents across the country have emerged to loudly condemn the spread of pornographic materials, especially in schools. These bills directly respond to the calls for action by those moms and dads.

Many have raised concerns about the psychological impact that pornographic material has had on those who access it, especially children. Age verification systems have been a widely promoted tool to address this emerging issue.