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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,757 posts)
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 01:24 PM Mar 2021

Utah Governor Signs Bill Requiring All Cell Phones Sold in State Block Porn

Utah governor Spencer Cox signed a bill Tuesday which would require porn filters on all cell phones and tablets sold in the state, The Associated Press reports.

Supporters of the proposal called these restrictions a necessary step in helping parents prevent their children from accessing explicit online content, especially at a time where kids are more likely to have their own phone. While critics have argued that this measure strips people of their First Amendment right to free speech. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Susan Pulishper, said parents can take the filter off, but could you imagine how a kid would even start up that type of conversation.

The bill seems to amount to a slap on the wrist for manufacturers. Each violation comes with a $10 fine with a cap of $500. While Cox considered himself to be sending an “important message” by signing this bill, it’s likely headed nowhere since five other states would need to pass similar laws in order to take effect.

As ridiculous as this measure may appear, it wasn’t the worst piece of legislation that Cox signed this week. According to KSTU, the Utah governor signed a bill making it the latest state to end their mask mandate on April 10. The bill’s sponsor Rep. Paul Ray appallingly referred to it as the COVID-19 “endgame,” saying, “the combination of vaccinations and recovered cases have brought our numbers down and it’s time to start moving forward.”

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/utah-governor-signs-bill-requiring-183436127.html

Many kids are more tech savvy than their parents however.

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Claire Oh Nette

(2,636 posts)
1. um....
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 01:32 PM
Mar 2021

Methinks this says more about Governor Cox than anyone. Utah has the highest rate of porn for a reason. Wonder what it could be....

I've never accidentally come across porn on line. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you kind of have to look for it.

Suppose I live in Utah, for the skiing, and I purchase a phone on Amazon. It's unenforceable. The fines are negligible--$500 each from each of the phone manufacturers isn't going to amount to much. Seems like the Invisible Hand of the Free Market takes a back seat to Utahans sexual proclivities. Solution in search of a problem, a way to keep the sexually repressed stirred up for the next election cycle.

jmowreader

(50,529 posts)
3. Who pays the fine, the mfg or the store?
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 01:37 PM
Mar 2021

If it’s the manufacturer, no big deal: Apple sends Utah a $500 check, and the Android manufacturers do the same.

Worst part: since Utah residents are America’s biggest porn consumers, they’ll just turn off the filters before they leave the store.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
4. Who defines what counts as porn? I get all excited reading Bible verses whilst nekkid.
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 01:39 PM
Mar 2021

Is he going to prevent me from going to Bible websites, or is he just making his kink illegal?

TheBlackAdder

(28,168 posts)
6. Isn't the porn industry (esp. Mormon Porn--yes that exists) Utah's #2, just behind banking?
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 01:44 PM
Mar 2021

.

Or do they just want to be a porn provider and not a porn consumer?

.

Shermann

(7,399 posts)
9. If there's a need for such a filter, you'd think the free market would solve it very quickly
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 02:03 PM
Mar 2021

There are what, a trillion apps on the Android app store?

Why are the Republicans giving up on the free market in this case?

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
10. Pretty sure the filters already exist, they're just not turned on by default
Sat Mar 27, 2021, 02:28 PM
Mar 2021

I believe what this really is meant for is so parents don't have to bother/remember to turn them on before giving their kids a phone (nor learning how to do so in some cases).

It's really not a terrible idea, quite frankly. A lot of these sites like pronhub have no age check (at least not that I know of), it's just type the URL and boom ... hardcore xxx porn in your face.

With no filter on by default, if the parent forgets ...

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