Bill > HF1434

This bill requires commercial websites that display material harmful to minors (defined as sexually explicit or prurient content lacking serious artistic or scientific value) to verify the age of Minnesota residents or individuals located in Minnesota before granting website access. Websites are subject to the law if harmful material appears on 25% or more of their web pages in a calendar month. Age verification must be conducted using either a commercially available identity database or another method approved by the Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce. The bill strictly prohibits commercial entities from retaining any identifying information used during age verification. If a website fails to properly verify age, individuals can report violations to the Attorney General, who may investigate and bring civil enforcement actions. Additionally, parents or legal guardians of minors can sue non-compliant websites, potentially recovering damages up to $25,000 per violation. The law explicitly does not apply to internet service providers or interactive computer services. The primary goal is to protect minors from accessing sexually explicit online content by implementing robust age verification mechanisms while maintaining user data privacy.

Business and Industry

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1434&ssn=0&y=2025