Utah governor Spencer Cox signed a divisive measure to filter and ban pornography on smartphones in the state.
The new bill was signed last March 23 and states that all cellphones and tablets sold in the state will be required to automatically block pornography.
Governor Cox said the bill will send out an ‘important message’ about stopping children from accessing explicit content.
However, critics said that the measure is an intrusion of free speech.
AP reports that the ruling will not come into effect unless five other states in the US enact similar legislation.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah stated that the bill had not been considered, and added that it will probably be argued in court.
“This is another example of the Legislature dodging the constitutional impacts of the legislation they pass,” ACLU attorney Jason Groth said.
Workers from the industry also expressed their concerns.
Cherie DeVille, an adult film star, is among those criticizing the bill, and reports said that she called upon the Republican governor to veto the measure, arguing that it will violate the residents’ First Amendment rights.
However, Governor Cox has stated that because the proposal won’t be enacted straight away, he isn’t too worried when it comes to constitutional concerns.
Rep. Susan Pulsipher —the bill’s sponsor— said she was ‘grateful’ that the governor had signed the bill, and hopes it will help parents to keep their kids from being exposed to pornographic content.
Supporters of the bill said that a restrictive action will help parents to ensure that their young children will avoid explicit content, especially that more kids now have their own cellphones or tablets.
Lawmakers in Utah have long held a stance against pornography and had previously mandated warning labels on both online and print publications.
In 2016, Utah became the first state to declare porn a ‘public health crisis’, since then, some other states have followed suit.