In a State House sit-down interview from Montgomery, Eagle Forum of Alabama Executive Director Becky Gerritson met with ALCAP President Greg Davis to discuss several different topics, including the passing of a cellphone adult content filter bill for minors in its House Committee, an age-verification bill passing the Senate, a sex education bill promoting abstinence needing a Senate Floor vote, a medical age-of-consent bill, and more.
The first bill (SB186) they discussed would require manufacturers of certain Internet-enabled devices, including smartphones and tablets, to contain a filter that is enabled during the activation of the device if the user is a minor. The filter would also be capable of preventing the device from accessing or displaying obscenity through Internet browsers or search engines. This bill has passed the Senate, its House Committee, and now needs a vote on the House Floor.
The next bill Gerritson and Davis mentioned (SB187) would would require app stores to implement various age-verification processes. It passed the Senate, but its ability to move forward in the House looks doubtful.
While it seems like both of these bills should pass easily in a conservative state, a couple of the opponents of these bills are powerful and wealthy: Apple and Google. If there is any potential to affect their business negatively, they lobby heavily against such measures. Pornography producers rely on technology companies for the dissemination of their obscene material, and there is a lot of money involved for both sides.
To listen to their entire conversation, click here.