Mike Stabile
@mikestabile.bsky.social
9.4K followers 740 following 2.6K posts
First Amendment rodeo clown. Policy Director at Free Speech Coalition, co-founder SWR Data, among other things. Personal account, all outrage / nonsense here is my own.
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mikestabile.bsky.social
It's a cursed timeline when the third-worst thing in the bill, the thing media only can report on after they've gotten through the really stupid stuff, is that Michigan intends to build a Great Firewall to keep its citizens unsullied by knowledge of trans boobs in WI.

legiscan.com/MI/text/HB49...
Michigan HB4938 | 2025-2026 | 103rd Legislature
Bill Text (2025-09-16) State: other; distribution of certain material; prohibit. Creates new act. [Bill Electronically Reproduced 09/11/2025]
legiscan.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
Michigan's HB4938 "antiporn" bill has been lambasted for a number of reasons. You can go to jail for even talking about sex online. Any reference to trans people needs to be erased from the internet.

But it also bans the sale of VPNs and requires ISPs to surveil block VPNs.
(3) An internet service provider providing internet service in this state shall implement mandatory filtering technology to prevent residents of this state from accessing prohibited material. An internet service provider providing internet service in this state shall actively monitor and block known circumvention tools.
(4) In addition to the criminal penalties provided under subsections
(1) and (2), a commercial entity of internet service provider that knowingly facilitates access to prohibited material in violation of this section is subject to a civil fine of not more than $500,000.00 for each violation.
(5) The promotion or sale of circumvention tools to access prohibited
material is prohibited.
mikestabile.bsky.social
Buried in Michigan's antiporn bill is a provision to effectively outlaw "circumvention tools," such as VPNs.

Mark my words: legislators will increasingly leverage porn panic to restrict or ban VPNs, and to limit internet privacy far beyond adult sites.
Experts raise privacy concerns over Michigan bill targeting pornography and VPNs
Rep. Josh Schriver, the bill’s sponsor, says the law is designed to target only producers and distributors of pornography, not everyday internet users.
www.wilx.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
Of course, you can play the TOS game and find violations between policy and reality against nearly any site that you like. But this is largely coming from the right, so no one is going after Gab or Rumble or X ...

They're using it against sites that they don't like or that are politically valuable.
mikestabile.bsky.social
So, in this instance, they're saying Roblox was "deceptive" because it said it moderated violent content, and that it has “stringent safety system and policies."

Then they point to user generated content like the Kirk simulator and say they deceived the public.
Attorney General Coleman Sues Roblox: Website of Choice for Child Predators'
Our children are not safe on Roblox.
www.kentucky.gov
mikestabile.bsky.social
"Deceptive trade practices" is the latest end-run around the First Amendment. It's being used arbitrarily to target platforms that allow disfavored speech, by finding some statement or policy — either a TOS or interview — and then citing an example where it was violated.
mikestabile.bsky.social
Kentucky has sued Roblox over a "Charlie Kirk assassination simulator" being accessible to children.

BUT their age-verification law doesn't require Roblox to verify, so the AG is suing for *waves arms* "deceptive trade practices."

The right's assault on speech was never going to stop with porn.
Kentucky sues Roblox video game over ‘Charlie Kirk assassination simulators’ amid other child safety lawsuits
The state of Kentucky is suing Roblox, accusing the gaming platform of failing to protect children from predators and exposure to harmful content, including simulations of Charlie Kirk’s assassination...
www.oann.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
Ohio Republicans concede that their poorly drafted age-verification bill may, in fact, have a loophole that excludes many adult sites.

The Speaker of the House says if it does, they'll push to fix it by Thanksgiving.

That hasn't stopped the AG from publicly trying to enforce the flawed law.
Pornography websites ignoring Ohio’s new age verification law, Yost says
Attorney General Dave Yost's office says it found 19 of 20 adult websites failing to comply with Ohio's new requirement to verify users are at least 18 years old.
www.cleveland.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
Republicans latest censorship strategy: taxing speech.

Alabama is demanding that anyone who sells content in Alabama pay a 10% "sin" tax and to pay for all the damage it believes the industry does to Alabamians.
Alabama’s new 10% ‘sin tax’ on porn websites will help pay for mental health services, sponsor says
"I think the pornography is a driver in causing mental health issues."
www.al.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
The Discord age-verification hack is much worse than was originally reported. 70,000 users were affected, with images of IDs, selfies, user names, IP addresses and, in some cases, financial details.

Hackers are posting screenshots from over 1.5 terabytes of stolen data.
404media.co
BREAKING: A catastrophic breach has impacted Discord user data including selfies and identity documents uploaded as part of the app’s verification process, email addresses, phone numbers, approximately where the user lives, and much more.

🔗 www.404media.co/the-discord-...
The Discord Hack is Every Users’ Worst Nightmare
A hack impacting Discord’s age verification process shows in stark terms the risk of tech companies collecting users’ ID documents. Now the hackers are posting peoples’ IDs and other sensitive informa...
www.404media.co
mikestabile.bsky.social
When governments begin attacking speech or speakers, platforms quickly begin to comply to avoid potential regulation.

Pushing to regulate "pornography" have meant greater policing of sex, sexuality, reproductive care and queer and women's bodies more generally. Absolutely looking forward to this.
eff.org
Across nearly 100 submissions to our #StopCensoringAbortion survey, we saw systemic over-enforcement, convoluted policies, sudden account bans, and ignored appeals. On Friday, leaders from EFF, Plan C, M+A Hotline, and Women on Web will discuss what’s happening and the future of sharing info online.
mikestabile.bsky.social
"LAWS MEAN WHAT WE WANT THEM TO MEAN NOT WHAT THEY SAY"
mikestabile.bsky.social
Ohio's AG is threatening twenty adult sites operating in Ohio, saying they're inviolation of the state's recently enacted age-verification law.

The only problem? Many say the poorly drafted law is written in a way that excludes websites ("interactive computer services") from having to comply.
Headline: Ohio AG warns porn websits that they're violating new age-verification law.
mikestabile.bsky.social
And yes, by all means, next time I'm in front of your committee please grill me on what "the adult industry" is doing to prevent this.
mikestabile.bsky.social
oh huh so you're telling me that a dodgy site with no whois record and no contact info in a undisclosed location isn't complying with age-verification rules on your small island nation.

go figure
"These books contain a link to a website to find out more about the character (identified on the back or inside page). This link has now been compromised and takes users to a pornographic website with no age verification."
A statement issued on behalf of Cope and Puffin said: "In some editions of the Spy Dog, Spy Cat and Spy Pups series there is a reference to the author Andrew Cope's former website for the series which was owned and managed by him.
mikestabile.bsky.social
These URLs aren't hijacked by "porn sites" — they're hijacked by scam artists who mass purchase expired domains to either rout traffic to a page crammed with gambling/sex/penis pill/dating ads or to embarrass someone enough that they'll pay a ransom to kill it.
UK libraries urged to remove children’s books with URL hijacked by porn site
Puffin issues alert to schools and local authorities over books in popular Spy Dog series by Andrew Cope
www.theguardian.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
This isn't an outlier, but a progression. They're getting bolder and, in the absence of repercussions, will continue to do so.
thetnholler.bsky.social
WATCH: Trump’s lawless Ice goons shoot an unarmed priest in the head with a pepper ball. Completely out of control.
mikestabile.bsky.social
The me first amendment: my access shall not be infringed. Yours, however …
mikestabile.bsky.social
The bills will go into effect so long as he doesn't veto them. Having worked in state politics (and on veto campaigns), it's critical that he hears from people who support the legislation, as he's likely hearing from conservative activist groups demanding he stop grooming children.
mikestabile.bsky.social
Of course, it's not just porn he wants to ban — and here, obligatory reminder that porn has no legal definition, it's just a label placed on material politicians want to restrict — it's also any mention of trans people.

If the bill passes, you could be arrested for sharing this in Michigan.
mikestabile.bsky.social
Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill prohibiting the any "depiction or description" of trans people or trans existence online, including it in a bill banning "pornographic" material

The bill would completely erase trans people online, equating them with porn.
Total porn ban proposed by Michigan lawmakers
Some states have moved to require age verification to ensure only adults are watching porn, but no states have outright banned the viewing of pornographic material.
www.fox2detroit.com
mikestabile.bsky.social
Is "God's Natural Order" in the room with us now.

Does it have big bazooms and ready for action tonight?
Twette from Schriver: 

The mouth and anus are not reproductive organs. Sodomy is indeed a crime against God and natural order.
This sin releases plagues of disease, promiscuity and perversion into our local communities.
Repent, yield to Christ, be fruitful and multiply!