TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—New legislation proposed in the Florida state legislature would require parental filters pre-installed on all internet-enabled devices sold in the state.
House Bill (HB) 1503 and Senate Bill (SB) 1718 would target device manufacturers with a requirement to sell devices with filters that prevent users from accessing porn.
Republican state Rep. Michelle Salzman and state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia introduced nearly identical companion bills in both chambers of the legislature. What is unique to the Florida bill is that it levies both criminal and civil penalties for companies that fail to comply and the employees of those companies. Penalties include potential felonies.
The bill does not require that users with passwords be able to turn off the filter completely, but it does block those without passwords from doing so. It seems to assume that having a password means an adult is supervising a minor’s device use, though it never actually states such. Currently, both bills are in the committee phase and are subject to markups before second reading and floor debate.
