Pornography fans might have trouble getting their fix if a South Carolina lawmaker has his way.
As the Associated Press reports, a bill from state Rep. Bill Chumley "would require sellers to install digital blocking capabilities on computers and other devices that access the internet to prevent the viewing of obscene content." So it could be a lot harder to access Pornhub from a newly purchased PC or tablet.
The proposal, pre-filed this month, would also "prohibit access to any online hub that facilities prostitution and would require manufacturers or sellers to block any websites that facilitate trafficking," the report notes.
Buyers and sellers could, however, pay to get around the new rules. Manufacturers would have to pay $20 per device sold without these "porn filters" while buyers of age could pay $20 to remove the block. This money would go to the Attorney General's human trafficking task force, according to the report.
The proposal seems a bit half-baked. Chumley himself tells the local GoUpstate.com that his proposal is a "beginning point" in his bid to combat human trafficking. The lawmaker's district is "a hotbed for human trafficking due to its location on Interstate 85 between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., two cities that consistently rank among the top 20 for human sex trafficking in the US," the site says.
But it presents a host of freedom of speech issues and likely also violates net neutrality rules that ban discrimination based on app or service. Ironically, Chumley in February tweeted that "the fight for Freedom of Speech is the battle of this generation," regarding the censorship of conservative students at the University of South Carolina.
The fight for Freedom of Speech is the battle of this generation. https://t.co/olTYxAzUF1
— Bill Chumley (@BillChumleySC) February 25, 2016
Chumley's bill has reportedly been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
It comes after the popular porn website xHamster in April went dark in neighboring North Carolina to protest a state law that restricts the rights of the LGBT community. XHamster vowed to keep the ban in place until the North Carolina repeals House Bill 2, which allows for discrimination based on sexual orientation.