Utah Governor Signs Controversial Smartphone ‘Porn Filter’ Bill

LOS ANGELES—Just days after saying that requiring anti-porn filters on all smartphones sold in the state would send an “important message” and “empower parents,” Utah’s Republican governor has signed a controversial bill that would do just that. Whether Governor Spencer Cox would sign the bill had been the subject of considerable speculation, as Cox (pictured above) had refused to express an opinion on the legislation until his comments of late last week. Even then, he did not commit to approving the measure. But in Tuesday, according to an Associated Press report, Cox ended all suspense and inked the bill into law. But the bill’s provisions will not immediately impact buyers and sellers of internet-connected devices in Utah. The law requires at least five other states to adopt a similar measure before taking effect in Utah. Currently, no other states are known to have porn-blocking laws under consideration. The bill set a deadline of 2031 for five more states to pass such laws before the Utah law would expire. But  Utah has been a leader in the crusade against adult material, becoming in 2016 the first state to pass a resolution declaring porn a “public health crisis.” Since then, at least 14 other states have passed anti-porn “health crisis” measures. Cox signed the bill without public comment, but has previously said that he is unconcerned about Constitutional questions the law raises, and which the American Civil Liberties Union has highlighted. The ACLU has said that the bill “infringes on the general public’s First Amendment rights to access the internet.”  Adult performer and activist Cherie DeVille also publicly objected to the law last week, when she published an op-ed in The Daily Beast.  “The First Amendment means protecting speech for everyone, especially those holding views you oppose,” DeVille wrote. “[The bill] would create more than a slippery slope for free speech—it would form a deadly slope that would send Utah residents’ civil liberties off a hill. All the while, it would do nothing to protect children.” DeVille noted that anti-porn filters already exist and may be used on a voluntary basis, to give parents control over whether their children may access adult content on their phones and tablets.  “If your kid still manages to watch porn, here’s an idea: Take away their phone,” DeVille wrote. “Why does any child need a cellphone anyway? They certainly don’t need the state to parent them. Not to be an asshole, but parents need to parent.” But the author of the bill signed by Cox, Republican state representative Susan Pulsipher, responded that the requirement that smartphones and tablets come with pre-activated filters installed would make it easier for parents who are not well versed in technology to shield their children from adult material. Pulsipher also said that because parents are free to deactivate the filters if they choose, the law would pass a Constitutional test, in her opinion Photo By Ben P L / Wikimedia Commons