Senate Bill 20, a recently approved bill in Texas, proposes criminal penalties for anyone who possesses or distributes visual materials that depict minors — real or fictional — in an “obscene” manner. According to the legislation, this will apply, “regardless of whether the depiction is an image of an actual child, a cartoon or animation, or an image created using an artificial intelligence application or other computer software.” The bill defines “obscene material” as content which lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, which is a broad definition that leaves room for interpretation.
Senate Bill 20 Could Lead to Several Anime, Manga and Games Being Banned
If Senate Bill 20 is enacted into law, it could mean Persona 5 becomes illegal as it incorporates dating elements using teenage characters. Popular anime series, such as Bleach, Monogatari and Kill la Kill, might also be banned as they contain provocative images of minors. In fact, as the definition is so ambiguous, a huge number of manga and anime series, as well as games, could be prohibited. Under the proposal, offenders would face a state jail felony, but a charge could be upgraded for previous convictions.
“There is almost no Anime/Manga in existence that doesn’t have the loli archetype,” posted one user on X. “Texas has successfully filtered themselves from one of the most popular pieces of media in the modern era, wonderful!” Another wrote, “This could be extremely dangerous. Texas is the anime capital of the US. CR has its main studio in Dallas, same with HiDive and others. If this is not handled correctly and carefully, it could destroy anime in the US.”
Texas’ Lieutenant Governor Defends the Proposed Legislation
The state’s lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, defended the proposed legislation. “As Texas enters the digital age, our state must be very careful about our approach to artificial intelligence,” he said. “With the proliferation of AI-generated pornography, steps must be taken to protect Texans, and specifically children, from harmful computer-generated content and the crimes that arise from it.
“I named SB 20 as a priority because Texas law must do more to eliminate all types of child pornography and stop the crimes that result from it,” he continued. “SB 20 keeps Texas up to date with advancements in technology and cuts off any loopholes in the law to protect our kids. I thank Sen. Flores for his diligent work to address this important issue.”
Though the law has been unanimously approved by state senators, it hasn’t been signed into law yet.
