【】

The almost non-existent abortion rights of Texans may be further diminished as a new proposed bill by Republican legislators in the state seeks to ban access to websites that are "intended to assist or facilitate efforts to obtain an elective abortion or an abortion-inducing drug." Since the ban on abortion in the state in 2022 following the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, Texas Republicans are now targeting internet service providers in the proposed bill's attempt to control how the internet is accessed.
HB2690, introduced by Republican State House Representative Steve Toth last week, calls upon ISPs to "make every reasonable and technologically feasible effort to block Internet access" to sites that provide information on how to obtain or access an abortion or abortion-inducing drugs, specifically, mifepristone and misoprostol. Rep. Toth's bill also explicitly called out six websites: aidaccess.org, heyjane.co, plancpills.org, mychoix.co, justthepill.com, and carafem.org. This also prohibits individuals from creating a website "that assists or facilitates a person's effort in obtaining an abortion-inducing drug," according to the bill.
SEE ALSO:Horrified reactions on Twitter after Supreme Court decision on Texas abortion lawAs The New Republicnotes, medication abortions, i.e., abortions that can be performed outside of a doctor’s office using pills, represent more than half of all abortions in the United States.
While this bill doesn't singularly targetpregnant women, it does encourage citizens to seek civil action by allowing them to sue ISPs or individuals they believe to be violating the proposed law. This is in line with Texas's "bounty hunter" approach to its abortion ban, calling upon citizens to enforce the law.

Broadly, the bill also attempts to expand its scope outside of Texas through purposefully ambiguous language establishing "civil liability for distribution of abortion-inducing drugs." According to the ordinance, "the law of this state applies to the use of an abortion-inducing drug by a resident of this state, regardless of where the use of the drug occurs."
ISPs are also financially incentivized to block as many websites and apps as possible by liability shields the bill would create. ISPs would have "absolute and nonwaivable immunity from liability or suit" for any "action taken to comply with the requirements of this subchapter, or to restrict access to or availability of the information or material described," the bill says. It also provides immunity to ISPs that take proactive measures in blocking broadband access to individuals "who provide or aid or abet elective abortions or who manufacture, mail, distribute, transport, or provide abortion-inducing drugs."
The proposed bill is a nightmare for free speech activists and supporters of internet statutes such as Section 230 and its kin. And despite a clause claiming it doesn’t apply to First Amendment-protected speech, critics of Rep. Toth's bill have pointed out on social media that this legislation is trying to abridge free speech. Mashable attempted to speak to Toth's office for comment but could not reach him or a spokesperson at the time of this writing.
Related Stories
- 5 interactive tools for learning about abortion access in your state
- Pills for medical abortions can now be dispensed at pharmacies under new FDA rules
- How to protect your privacy in a post-Roe America
- Google will automatically delete visits to abortion clinics from your location history
- YouTube is cracking down on abortion misinformation
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
As The Verge points out, proposed legislation such as HB2690 that allows for ISP blocking provisions would run afoul of net neutrality rules. However, under President Biden's current FCC administration, the agency is currently deadlocked trying to confirm his nominee for commissioner, and thus, can't reinstate rules that were rolled back during the Trump presidency. Extreme laws like these usually don't pass, the Verge notes, but they can't be ignored.
Despite Texas' draconian laws on abortion, there are already attempts to skirt these potential new rulings on accessible abortion information. Mobile billboards sponsored by the nonprofit Mayday.Health are visiting college campuses in 14 states with abortion bans carrying a reminder that abortion pills are still accessible all across the country. The traveling billboards are fitted with QR codes that direct people to resources specific to the state where they are hoping to have pills delivered. Campuses in Austin and Dallas should expect to see the billboard soon in the coming days as March celebrates Women's History Month.
As the current legal backdrop continues to attack the right to abortion across the country, here is information you can use to help abortion funds and reproductive networks around the nation.
TopicsHealthSocial Good
相关文章
'The Flying Bum' aircraft crashes during second test flight
Airlander 10, the world's largest aircraft, on Wednesday crashed at its Cardington Airfield base in2025-04-23- 豬小肚,很常見的動物內髒器官 ,能夠適度的服用,針對健脾養胃有益處。還能夠有健脾養胃的功效和實際效果的呢。你了解豬小肚怎樣服用嗎,下邊就來詳細介紹這款能夠有補氣補血功效的豬小肚枸杞子湯做法吧,討論一下它2025-04-23
- 在如今醫院門診、藥房遍及的每一個地區,基本上每一個城區都是有醫院門診 、藥房,大家在就醫層麵較為便捷了 。那麼,有關人血白蛋白,此類藥品,上海市區哪裏可以購到呢?點擊圖片進入下一頁 (1/2)一般來說,人2025-04-23
- 水果是人們必不可少的食物,家庭裏也常常會備幾種水果,尤其是有孩子的家庭會根據孩子的喜好備更多種,但也要注意有些水果不能搭配一起吃 ,那麽菠蘿和葡萄能一起吃嗎 ?這兩種水果是完全可以放在一起食用的,當然菠蘿2025-04-23
Tyler, the Creator helped Frank Ocean celebrate 'Blonde' release in a delicious way
The release of Frank Ocean's 。 Blonde。is a cause for celebration to the fans who waited four years fo2025-04-23- 圓蔥自身的營養成分比較豐富 ,再加有獨特的味道,因此 ,很受特色美食發燒友熱烈歡迎 ,有些人說 ,實際上吃洋蔥能夠協助減肥瘦身,那麼,洋蔥怎麽吃減肥瘦身呢?我掌握之後獲知了三種能夠協助減肥瘦身的食用方法,下2025-04-23
最新评论