Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin recently vetoed a bill that aimed to enforce age verification for accessing adult websites, asserting the importance of personal privacy for residents. The measure, known as Assembly Bill 105, had received overwhelming support in the legislature, passing with a vote of 69-22, including bipartisan backing. Evers expressed his concerns about the intrusive nature of the verification requirements, which many states have adopted, requiring individuals to upload government IDs or undergo biometric scans.
Over 25 states have enacted similar legislation, with an additional 13 states currently considering such laws. Evers emphasized the need to safeguard children from harmful material but criticized the bill for placing undue burdens on adults accessing constitutionally protected content. He highlighted the risks of sensitive information being mishandled by less reputable entities.
This veto marks a significant stance against increasing governmental oversight in digital privacy, particularly as Evers prepares to leave office after choosing not to run for a third term. The governor's decision follows a legislative amendment that removed a previous provision banning VPN use to bypass ID checks, which did not alleviate his privacy concerns.