Republican lawmakers in the state of Utah are proposing to automatically block pornography on mobile phones and iPads. The bill, if passed, will make it impossible to surf pornography content on mobile devices in the state.
A spokesperson for Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox told the Associated Press that he would consider signing the bill after it has passed the legislature this month. Cox has until next Thursday, March 25 to put his signature on the legislation.
The text in the bill states; “This bill establishes filter requirements and enforcement mechanisms for tablets and smartphones activated in the state on or after January 1 of the year following the year this bill takes effect.”
Supporters of the bill have argued that it would be a decisive step in helping parents keep explicit content away from their children. However, detractors say that the proposal is unconstitutional and encourages censorship, intruding on citizens’ rights to freedom of speech.
However, even with Cox’s signature, the legislation will not go into effect unless similar laws are passed in five other states. The provision was added in the bill after retailers and manufactures voice concerned about the difficulty involved in implementing filters in a single state.
The proposal was sponsored by GOP Rep. Susan Pulsipher and focuses on prohibiting pornographic content for children by imposing a filter. Adults would be able to access porn on their devices by turning off the filter.
If the bill is signed into law, companies that don’t abide by the law would receive a civil penalty from $10 to $500. Additionally, half the amount of the fine would go to the state’s Crime Victim Reparations Fund.
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