A new law proposed in South Carolina could prevent people in the state from accessing online pornography.
According to the Charlotte Observer, the bill would require anyone selling computers or other devices that connect to the internet to install “a digital blocking capability that renders obscenity inaccessible.”
The bill, called the “Human Trafficking Prevention Act,” was pre-filed earlier this month by Republican state Rep. Bill Chumley.
The Observer also notes that sellers — and buyers — could pay a $20 per device to remove the filter. Money collected would go to Attorney General’s office and would be used to fight human trafficking.
According to Chumley, he hopes the bill would prevent children from viewing explicit material.
“If we could have manufacturers install filters that would be shipped to South Carolina, then anything that children have access on for pornography would be blocked,” Chumley told GoUpState.com. “We felt like that would be another way to fight human trafficking.”
“It’s where almost everybody has access to a computer now. It’s porn on demand,” Chumley added. “We have to start somewhere. … We’re bringing attention to it. We’re not being political. It’s an issue I’m pretty passionate about.”
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
