South Carolina officials want to block offensive sites in order to stop human trafficking.
A new proposed regulation by State Representative William Chumley involves blocking pornographic content on smartphones and tablets. Mr. Chumley wants to make a change in the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (HTPA) which will require all devices with access to the internet to automatically block obscene content right out of the package.
The new regulation will require the mobile devices manufacturers to equip the handsets, tablets, and laptops with a software capable of blocking offensive content. If new devices are not equipped with said blocker, either the manufacturer of the customer will be forced to pay a $20 fine.
However, the consumers have a right to choose whether their devices should feature the adult content blocker. If they wish to have their products free of the software they could ask the manufacturer or the seller to provide them with a copy that does not block pornographic content. However, the process involves several steps.
First of all, the customer has to request in writing that the blocking software be disabled only after the seller verifies whether the new owner is 18 years or older. Ultimately, after the customers have been briefed on potential dangers that come with removing the blocker, they have to pay a $20 fee.
State Representative William Chumley said that he wants the measure instated in order to gradually get rid of the human trafficking issues that have devastated South Carolina. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there have been over 300 reported cases since 2007. Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, are among the top 20 cities in the United States most affected by human sex trafficking.
Because these cities are connected by the I-85 which passes through South Carolina, Mr. Chumley described the state as a hotbed for human trafficking. Moreover, law enforcement officers the victim numbers are even greater since many cases are not reported or the victims do not come forward. Ultimately, the money gathered from the fines will fund the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office human trafficking task force.
“We felt like that would be another way to fight human trafficking”, said State Representative William Chumley.
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