New Hampshire lawmakers are preparing to introduce legislation that would require smartphones and tablets sold in the state to include filters automatically blocking minors from accessing obscene content.

The proposal, spearheaded by Republican State Representative Margaret M. Drye, comes as states nationwide grapple with age verification laws for adult websites and their associated legal challenges.

Drye’s bill aims to shift the focus from content distributors to device manufacturers, offering what she calls “an easy step” to safeguard children without the contentious measures seen elsewhere.

Unlike laws in other states that require age verification for accessing adult websites, Drye’s proposal would mandate pre-installed filters on devices like smartphones and tablets. The filters would automatically block obscene material, with the possibility for adults to disable them if desired.

“This is an easy step for device manufacturers,” Drye said, adding that her bill aligns with existing state obscenity laws. She emphasized that the legislation is modeled after similar measures passed in Utah last year and would grant the New Hampshire attorney general authority to ensure compliance. Additionally, parents would be allowed to sue anyone who alters a filter on their child’s device without consent.

Drye, along with nine Republican co-sponsors, believes the legislation offers a practical way to address concerns over minors accessing explicit content while sidestepping the legal pitfalls of age-verification laws.

Drye’s proposal comes at a time of heightened legislative focus on restricting access to adult content. Nineteen states have enacted age-verification laws in recent years, requiring platforms hosting explicit material to confirm a user’s age through government-issued IDs or third-party services. Advocates argue these laws protect children, while opponents cite privacy concerns and constitutional challenges.

Recent developments highlight the legal complexities of such measures:

• In Tennessee, a federal judge temporarily blocked an age-verification law on free speech grounds.
• The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on a Texas law requiring similar age-verification measures, a decision that could have far-reaching implications.
• Major adult platforms like PornHub have blocked access in states like Florida and South Carolina, where new age-verification laws recently took effect.

Against this backdrop, Drye emphasized that a New Hampshire age-verification bill proposed last year was withdrawn to avoid conflicts with ongoing litigation in other states.

“It didn’t make sense to put forth anything that’s being adjudicated right now,” she said.

Drye sees her bill as a more balanced approach to addressing the risks associated with minors accessing explicit material. “It needs to stay in the forefront of public [awareness],” she said, “and I think this is one way of keeping it there.”

The proposal has already garnered support among some Republican lawmakers, who view it as a necessary step to combat risks related to the sexual exploitation of minors. However, similar efforts in other states have faced pushback from civil liberties advocates and technology experts concerned about overreach, practicality, and potential unintended consequences.

The legislative session in New Hampshire is set to intensify as Drye’s bill is formally introduced. If passed, the law would position New Hampshire among a growing number of states leveraging technology to regulate access to adult content.