Cherie DeVille Condemns Utah's 'Porn Filter' Bill; Lawmaker Responds

Cherie DeVille Condemns Utah's 'Porn Filter' Bill; Lawmaker Responds

LOS ANGELES — An open letter penned by Cherie DeVille for The Daily Beast condemning Utah’s controversial “porn filter” bill was published on Saturday and quoted within hours in a subsequent article by the Salt Lake Tribune with the lawmaker responsible for the bill, Rep. Susan Pulsipher (R-South Jordan), responding to DeVille's concerns.

As XBIZ reported, the bill passed the State Senate earlier this month on a 19-6 vote (with four absences) and would mandate a default “porn filter” on any phones, computers, tablets or any other electronic devices sold in the state starting in 2022.

Members of Utah trade associations, tech company lobbies and free speech groups all advocated against the bill.

If passed, the mandatory filters — from which for-profit, faith-based software companies have been profiting for some time — would have to be activated by default in 2022 if certain additional conditions, attached to the bill as an amendment, are met.

“If you want to monitor what your kid watches on their phone, install parental controls that have existed since AOL,” DeVille wrote to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox “If your kid still manages to watch porn, here’s an idea: Take away their phone. Why does any child need a cell phone anyway? They certainly don’t need the state to parent them.”

The Salt Lake Tribute noted DeVille as claiming "the legislation will do nothing to shield Utah children and is actually an attempt to prevent the socially conservative state’s adults from viewing pornography. And she questioned why the legislation singles out sexually explicit content, when violent video games and television shows can also have a damaging effect on children."

Pulsipher refuted DeVille's claims.

“[The bill] doesn’t take the place of good parenting. It doesn’t take the place of family rules or family discussions,” she told the Tribune. “It’s just a tool to help good parents be good parents... nothing would prevent adults from deactivating the content blockers and viewing pornography if they chose."

Cox is expected to decide whether to sign or veto the bill this week.

“If you want Republicans to focus more on creating legislation around real issues, defend the free speech of the pornographers whose profession conservatives oppose,” DeVille wrote in her open letter to Cox. “Remind conservatives that free speech means free speech for everyone, especially those you oppose.”

Find DeVille's open letter here and the Salt Lake Tribune article, with Susan Pulsipher's response, here.

"I would like to thank The Daily Beast once again for letting me speak my mind," the performer said. "I also want to thank The Salt Lake Tribune for picking up on my letter. I hope this exposure will urge Gov. Cox to veto this bill and protect freedom of speech and the livelihoods of adult performers."

Follow Cherie DeVille on Twitter for the latest updates.

Image source (left): Utah State Representative Susan Pulsipher. Photo: Utah House of Representatives.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

European Commission to Assess Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX Compliance With Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to conduct a study to determine how well adult sites Pornhub, XVideos and XNXX are addressing illegal content and other potential harms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

German Higher Court Upholds Ban on PornHub, YouPorn

The Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate on Thursday upheld a “network ban” on Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn for failing to comply with German age verification regulations.

Alabama Notifying Adult Sites of New Tax Set to Take Effect Sept. 1

The Alabama Department of Revenue has begun sending notices to adult site operators about a new 10% tax on their revenues, set to be enforced starting Sept. 1.

Ondato, CCBill Announce Strategic Partnership for Global High-Risk Market

Age and identity verification firm Ondato and payment processor CCBill have formed a strategic partnership to serve the global high-risk market.

Ofcom Investigates 4 More Adult Companies for OSA Compliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into whether four companies operating adult websites have implemented requisite age assurance measures under the Online Safety Act, the agency announced Thursday.

Taylor Nicole Launches New Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Creator Taylor Nicole has launched her new official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Show More