An "Anticorruption of Public Morals Act" sounds like something out of the Victorian era. But far from the brainchild of Comstock-era Progressive scold, it's a new bill in Michigan. Introduced September 11 by state Rep. Josh Schriver (R–Oxford), the act would ban the online distribution of material "that corrupts the public morals."
The legislation—House Bill 4938—defines such material as any "depiction, description, or simulation, whether real, animated, digitally generated, written, or auditory, of sexual acts." Distributing it would be a felony crime, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. Individuals, commercial entities, internet platforms, and public institutions could all be held criminally liable.
