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US State Of Utah Considering Blocking Porn On All Phones Sold There

US State Of Utah Considering Blocking Porn On All Phones Sold There

Lawmakers are proposing that all phones and tablets sold have porn blockers on automatically

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

The US state of Utah is considering passing a bill that would make it difficult to watch porn on phones that were purchased there.

Wonder how many people will be taking trips to neighbouring states for the new iPhone...

PA

Lawmakers are proposing that all mobile phones and tablets sold should have automatic blockers on them when it comes to X-rated content in a bid to prevent children from seeing anything.

Adults would be able to turn off the filters if they chose.

The state's Republican governor Spencer Cox apparently now has until 25 March to reject the idea or agree and sign it.

Jennifer Napier-Pearce, Mr Cox's spokesperson, said in an email to the Associated Press that Cox will 'carefully consider this bill during the bill signing period'.

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox.
PA

If the proposal is signed, it might mean that manufacturers who don't block pornography could face up to a couple of thousand dollars in fines.

Let a person live, will you guys?

It's believed that penalties could also be faced if children are exposed to 'harmful material', obviously meaning porn.

Susan Pulsipher, a Republican representative explained: "A child that wants to find it [porn] and tries to would probably be able to still."

You might be thinking at this stage that if they can find a niche YouTube video, they can find anything, but Ms Pulsipher went on to add that 'it's just one step in the right direction'.

Then she spoke about someone she knew who had watched porn at around nine years old, saying: "This exposure would affect him for years - leading to a negative impact on his marriage, on being a father and on his work and social interactions."

PA

Utah's generally conservative culture means racy mainstream magazines and lingerie catalogues can be considered risqué.

Combatting porn has always been important, with warning labels being shown on print and online pornography. The state also declared it a 'public health crisis'.

But, even if Mr Cox signs the bill, it wouldn't be implemented unless five other states also enacted similar laws.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, an anti-porn group, cheered the bill, saying that while many electronic devices come with filters installed, turning them on can be challenging for parents.

Executive Director Dawn Hawkins said in a statement: "Utah has passed a critical, common sense solution to help protect vulnerable children from accessing harmful pornographic content on phones and tablets."

Critics of the bill have branded it an intrusion on free speech.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, US News