A new bill in South Carolina calls for blocking internet porn on computers sold within the state, but both buyers and seller can pay the state a $20 fee per device to get around the digital filters.
South Carolina Anti-Porn Bill
According to CNET, the newly proposed law in South Carolina is called the Human Trafficking Prevention Act. The bill aims at making it illegal to sell a computer without a porn filter. However, the digital filters can be avoided by those who pay the state a fee.
The bill has been pre-filled this month and it is published on the South Carolina state house's website. State Rep. Bill Chumley is the one who proposed the new law. The bill would require computer sellers or manufacturers to install digital blocking capabilities on devices in order to prevent the viewing of porn content. This applies, in fact, not only to computers but also to hand-held devices that have internet access.
The digital filter can be avoided by sellers if they pay the state for every device sold a $20 opt-out fee. The same option is also provided to buyers who want to lift the filter after purchasing a device. They can verify they are 18 or older, request in writing that the filter is disabled, acknowledge receipt of a written warning about the potential dangers of disabling the digital blocker and also pay a $20 fee.
Money collected from opt-out fees will go toward the human trafficking task force of the Attorney General's Office's. The bill has been already referred to the House Judiciary Committee and state legislators will vote on it when they will return for a new session next month.
The Human Trafficking Issue In US
According to Extreme Tech, whenever legislation like this has been previously proposed, it is usually in terms of protecting children from accessing adult material. However, Chumley's plan doesn't quite fit that pattern.
Rep. Chumley explained for the local news site GoUpState.com that the human trafficking has become a real problem in the state. The issue exploded recently there are necessary more efforts to combat crimes against children. They should be protected from exposure to sexually explicit materials.
Victims of human trafficking in the United include individuals who were smuggled in America specifically for forced labor or prostitution or lured into the country under false pretenses. The victims also include homeless and runaway children. But many victims of human trafficking fear that their families will be targeted if they cooperate and for this reason, they usually refuse to cooperate with police investigations.
According to the estimation of the U.S. State Department around 244,000 children and teenagers are at risk of trafficking and according to the DOJ, every year between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the country. Boys are principally targeted for petty crime, drug trade or agricultural work, while women tend to be forced into domestic service or prostitution.
Due to Interstate 85, which runs between Atlanta and Charlotte, South Carolina is considered a trafficking corridor. Both of Atlanta and Charlotte cities are among the top 20 destinations for human trafficking in the United States.
