Utah has passed a new law mandating that smartphones and tablets sold in the state come equipped with activated porn filters. The legislation, known as SB 104 or the Children’s Device Protection Act, signifies Utah’s aggressive stance in the ongoing battle to safeguard children in the digital age.

Championed by Senator Todd Weiler, Utah’s vocal advocate against pornography, the bill underscores the state’s commitment to preventing the early exposure of children to explicit content.

It turns out this is the one time an anti-porn crusader and a pornographer are in agreement. As an industry, we have long advocated for parents to take control of their children and protect them from accessing material meant for adults. This can be done easily with readily available porn filters, negating the need for age verification laws. If parents were to just simply turn on the porn filter on these smart devices then it would solve the issue.

Senator Weiler articulated the legislation’s aim as a preventive measure against the development of pornography addiction among the youth, an issue he has been vocally campaigning against. This legislative effort aligns with Utah’s previous initiatives, notably the 2016 resolution that declared pornography a public health crisis, highlighting the adverse effects of pornography on adolescents.

Under the new law, set to take effect on January 1, 2025, manufacturers are tasked with ensuring that filters blocking obscene content are enabled by default on devices intended for children’s use. While these safeguards can be disabled with a password, the measure places the power squarely in the hands of parents, empowering them to make informed decisions about their children’s online environments.

Elder Merv Arnold, representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, lent his support to the bill during its committee stage, praising Utah’s proactive stance on child protection.

Advocates of the bill also pointed out the potential societal benefits of reducing early exposure to pornography, including mitigating the objectification of women and girls and curbing sexually aggressive behaviors among the youth.

However, the legislation has not been without its critics. Representatives from the retail and telecommunications sectors, including the Utah Retail Merchants Association and major carriers such as AT&T and Verizon, expressed concerns about the practical implementation of the law. They emphasized the need for a unified, nationwide approach to such regulations to avoid putting Utah in a unique and potentially isolating position regarding device availability.

Despite these challenges, the bill received Governor Spencer Cox’s signature on March 13, 2024, making Utah the first state to enact such stringent measures for digital child protection. Senator Weiler’s commitment to refining the bill in response to feedback underscores the collaborative effort to balance technological innovation with the imperative to protect the vulnerable.

As the law’s implementation date approaches, Utah stands at the forefront of a national conversation about the role of government in regulating digital content. With SB 104, the state not only aims to protect its children from the unseen dangers lurking online but also challenges other states and the tech industry at large to consider the long-term impacts of digital content on society’s youngest members.

Nobody in the adult industry has ever debated that children shouldn’t have access to porn. We just think that the effort to monitor children’s access to the internet and, therefore, pornographic material should be placed on the shoulders of their parents. Parents should always be the responsible party when it comes to their own children.