MONTGOMERY — On Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation requiring the automatic activation of electronic device filters for minors that prevent exposure to "obscenity" in online content.
House Bill 167 (HB167), sponsored by State Rep. Chris Sells (R-Greenville), is similar to legislation passed by the House last year that failed to receive a Senate vote.
The legislation would mandate that manufacturers of specific internet-enabled devices, such as smartphones and tablets, contain a filter that is enabled during the activation of the device if the user is a minor and only allow a user with a password to deactivate or reactivate the filter.
The bill's requirements would only apply to devices manufactured after Jan. 1, 2025.
"It's a cell phone consumer protection for keeping children from accessing porn on their cell phone," Sells told the House. "It's as simple as, when they set up their Apple ID, it turns the filter on. They are actually doing it now for ages 12 and under, and this just moves it up to the age of 18."
State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Hills) thanked Sells for his years of work on the bill. Sells reiterated that he had been working on it since 2019.
HB167 received bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans alike.
State Rep. Napoleon Bracy (D-Chickasaw) applauded the bill, calling it the "most important bill for us to vote on this year."
"As a father of a now-12-year-old daughter, this is something that's been really, really important to us and our house," Bracy said. "Some of these apps and some of these games will lead these kids down rabbit holes, and once these kids go down these rabbit holes, they see things that they can never unsee."
"It's a very difficult situation, and it's all because some people just don't want to be accountable. It's not hard to do. When these phones are purchased, these things can be done right there at the store, and they make it seem as if we're asking them to do the impossible when it comes down to protecting our kids," he continued.
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough joined his Republican colleagues in supporting the legislation and thanking Sells for bringing the bill forward.
"I've got four kids, 15 down to four and it just means a lot to have more security in place for my kids," Yarbrough said.
The bill passed with 98 "yes" votes and four abstentions. It will now go to the Senate for deliberation.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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