The Republican governor of Utah has signed legislation requiring all cellphones and tablets sold in the conservative state to automatically block pornography.
Critics are calling the divisive move a significant intrusion on the First Amendment right to free speech.
Governor Spencer Cox claims the measure would send an “important message” about preventing children from accessing explicit online content.
No immediate steps toward implementation will be made unless five other states enact similar laws — a provision introduced to address concerns that it would be difficult to implement.
This is the latest move in Utah’s legislative campaign to restrict the availability of porn.
“This is another example of the Legislature dodging the constitutional impacts of the legislation they pass,” ACLU attorney Jason Groth said.
