Bill to block porn on new mobiles

Phoenix, April 20: Lawmakers in about a dozen US states are considering a bill that would block pornography from all new phones and computers unless consumers pay up. Backers of the porn tax plan to introduce it on the federal level this month.

State Rep. Kelly Townsend considered sponsoring a version of the bill in Arizona, but the measure was not introduced this session, her staff confirmed.

Supporters say porn is a public health problem and argue that taxing it would help cut down on a range of issues, including sex trafficking.

The Human Trafficking Prevention Act would require that all new Internet-connected devices be equipped with a porn filter. Consumers who want to unlock the filter would have to pay a one-time fee of $20 on each device.

The tax would be used to fund groups that fight human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and other issues, according to boilerplate language from the act’s supporters. “What we know about pornography is that it’s addictive. It actually affects the brain,” said Kathleen Winn of the Arizona AntiTrafficking Network.

“I absolutely believe pornography is contributing to the growing criminal enterprise of sex trafficking.”

Others, like Tempebased attorney Russ Richelsoph, question the constitutionality of such a measure.

“While I’m not advocating pornography, it is a form of speech. It is protected by the First Amendment,” he said.