Alabama House Advances Porn Filtering Legislation

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—Lawmakers in the Alabama state legislature last week advanced House Bill (HB) 167, a bill that would require device manufacturers to enable parental filters as an "opt-out" feature, rather than an "opt-in" one, at the point of sale. A similar law is on the books in Utah, which features criminal penalties, like a felony for retailers and manufacturers. Republican state Rep. Chris Sells is the primary sponsor of House Bill 167. The bill made it through the House of Representatives on a vote of 98-0. Now, the Senate will consider the bill. Sells' bill reportedly provides for "civil and criminal liability" for device manufacturers who fail to comply with porn filtering mandates. HB 167 is likely to be adopted by the state Senate, which is controlled by the Republican Party. If it makes it through the Senate, far-right Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is likely to sign the bill. If so, it will will enter force on January 1, 2026. Utah's "Children's Device Protection Act" was signed into law March 13 by Gov. Spencer Cox, and is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2025. At the time of this report, Utah is the only state in the union with a passed law stipulating these requirements for mobile devices.