Texas Republican wants ISPs to block a wide range of abortion websites
Enlarge / Texas State Capitol Building. (credit: Getty Images | Brian Bumby)
A proposed state law in Texas would force Internet service providers to block websites containing information on how to obtain an abortion or abortion pill. Republican lawmaker Steve Toth, a member of the state House of Representatives, introduced the bill last week.
Texas already has several laws that heavily restrict access to abortion, but the new proposal is notable for its attempt to control how ISPs provide access to the Web. "Each Internet service provider that provides Internet services in this state shall make every reasonable and technologically feasible effort to block Internet access to information or material intended to assist or facilitate efforts to obtain an elective abortion or an abortion-inducing drug," the bill says.
The bill lists six websites that would have to be blocked: aidaccess.org, heyjane.co, plancpills.org, mychoix.co, justthepill.com, and carafem.org. ISPs would also have to block any website or online platform "operated by or on behalf of an abortion provider or abortion fund" and any website or platform used to download software "that is designed to assist or facilitate efforts to obtain an elective abortion or an abortion-inducing drug."