Alabama: Legislature Urged to Copy Utah's 'Porn Filter' Bill

Alabama: Legislature Urged to Copy Utah's 'Porn Filter' Bill

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama House Judiciary Committee held a hearing yesterday on a “copycat bill” of the legislation successfully passed in Utah last month, aiming to force phone and computer manufacturers to install default “porn filters” on devices sold in Alabama.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Chris Sells (R, Greenville) as part of a current effort — coordinated by anti-porn lobby NCOSE (formerly Morality in Media) and other religiously motivated crusading organizations — to pass state-by-state laws making this requirement.

Sells told the committee that, although state laws prohibit children from buying alcohol and cigarettes, “we have an iPhone or a mobile device when they’re perhaps 10 years old and all they’ve got to do is punch a couple of buttons and it’s wide-open to every kind of adult thing you can imagine.”

Urging State Intervention for Negligent Parenting

According to a report by local news portal Al.com, Sells said that he was demanding state intervention on behalf of “children whose parents haven’t gone to the trouble to make sure the filter is activated.”

“What I’m finding out is that most parents are not taking the time to download an app or to go into the settings of these phones, and just buy a child a phone and hand it to them,” Sells told the committee.

The committee is expected to vote on the bill next Wednesday. Two people spoke in favor of the bill, while two representatives of the entertainment and wireless industries spoke against it.

Montgomery DA's Tales of 'Porn Addicted' Children

Tim Anderson Jr., director of the Helping Montgomery Families Initiative at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, testified about a supposed state-wide crisis of “porn addiction,” a definition that is contested by most psychology research.

Anderson described a child whose case he was “involved with” as “a full-blown addict by the age of 10."

“He was often unsupervised with over four devices that gave him unlimited access to pornography,” Anderson continued, adding that “the child is 12 and remains addicted.”

Cleo Washington spoke on behalf of AT&T as part of a group of experts that pointed out that the bill was not the best way to protect children from pornography.

“Mandating filter requirements we believe is not the most effective approach, but instead the most effective approach to get control of this is through educational collaboration,” Washington said. “States working with companies and other stakeholders working together to educate consumers about the tools that are available to them, especially in today’s ever evolving world of technology. We also think it’s critical to continue to educate parents.”

The Utah Deadline Looms

The Alabama bill would become the first of the other five state bills that Utah has required before their bill would go into effect in early 2022.

Anti-porn lobbies continue targeting red-state legislatures through religious politicians to obtain that number before the deadline. These are the same legislatures and sponsors behind the 2016-2020 campaign to declare a bogus “public health crisis” around pornography, an initiative that faltered upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when funds were needed for an actual epidemic.

Inset: Alabama State Rep. Chris Sells (Alabama State House)

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

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

MYM Launches New Traffic System

German creator platform MYM has launched a new traffic system for its members.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Eroutique Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Eroutique has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'ADHD-Friendly' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers with ADHD.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

FSC Sets Key Dates, Qualifiers for December Board of Directors Election

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) today announced key dates and qualifiers for its upcoming Board of Directors election.

Show More