Ala. Senate Panel Clears Cellphone Filter Bill
The Alabama Senate Children and Youth Health Committee voted 8-1 Thursday for a bill requiring phone and tablet manufacturers to turn on internet filters for children by default.
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During a livestreamed hearing, state Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R), who authored SB-186, said he wants to stop kids from being exposed to "things that their minds are not yet developed enough to handle."
However, Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D) raised concerns about possible government overreach. "Parents have got to be parents,” she said. "The state cannot regulate morality ... Big Brother can't be in the home, overseeing everything." Also, she questioned making manufacturers liable when they don't know who's buying the phone.
Alabama Policy Institute CEO Stephanie Smith supported SB-186. "We're asking manufacturers to unhide existing filters and enable them automatically to protect our children."
NetChoice lobbyist Justin Hill opposed the legislation, saying it’s not hard to find parental controls on devices. He said it may not be a good thing that the proposed law means parents won’t feel they have to talk to their kids about harmful content. "A false sense of security would actually be devastating."