Age-Gating Isn’t About Kids, It’s About Control

Rep. Leigh Finke testified against Minnesota's HF1434 age-verification bill, arguing that its overly broad definition of content 'harmful to minors' threatens First Amendment rights and disproportionately restricts LGBTQ+ youth from accessing educational and affirming resources. The backlash against her testimony, she contends, demonstrates that age-verification mandates serve as tools for government control over online speech rather than genuine child protection.