The Trump administration is directing American diplomats around the globe to push foreign governments to adopt policies that shield children from online pornography and sexual exploitation, while stopping short of mandating sweeping government censorship, according to an internal State Department memo obtained by The Daily Wire.
The memo instructs diplomats to encourage host countries to pursue child safety frameworks that do not compromise free speech, digital privacy, or technological innovation. It is the latest signal that the administration is treating online child protection as a foreign policy priority, not just a domestic one.
“The Trump Administration strongly prioritizes the protection of children online, advancing policies that combat exploitation while safeguarding privacy, free expression, and innovation,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told The Daily Wire.
The document backs age verification technology as a tool to keep minors off pornography sites but draws firm limits. The administration opposes measures that would require users to submit a driver’s license or passport to prove their age, citing privacy concerns. Instead, it favors zero-knowledge proof systems, a cryptographic approach that can confirm a user’s age without storing their personal data.
“The United States encourages ZKP standards that are interoperable across platforms and regulatory regimes,” the memo states.
The State Department’s preferred model centers on parental control rather than blanket government mandates. The memo says the U.S. favors “regulatory approaches that empower parents to prescribe access limitations for devices used by their child, rather than mandating one-size-fits-all access limitations imposed by the government.” Digital literacy campaigns for parents are also listed as a priority.
The directive arrives as Congress and the White House have grown increasingly aggressive on the issue. President Trump signed “The Take It Down Act” in 2025, a law championed by First Lady Melania Trump that requires platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes of real people.
Public support for stricter online age verification is broad. A Cygnal poll conducted in February found that 83% of likely voters back age verification requirements for mobile app downloads and 81% support the same requirement for pornographic websites.
The State Department confirmed it supports an open internet for political speech but carves out exceptions for commercial adult content, gambling, tobacco, and alcohol.
