Ivey signs Cell Phone Filter Act
SB186 mandates filters to prevent minors from accessing obscene content
Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 186 (SB186), the Cell Phone Filter bill, into law on May 14, creating Act 2025-406. This bill mandates that smartphones and tablets manufactured on or after June 1, 2025, and activated in Alabama, must include filters to prevent minors from accessing obscene content.
The law stipulates that these devices:
- Must contain a filter that blocks access to obscene material through browsers or search engines owned and controlled by the manufacturer.
- Require users to provide their age during activation and account setup.
- Automatically enable the filter if the user is identified as a minor.
- Allow only non-minor users with a password to deactivate or reactivate the filter.
- Notify users when content is blocked by the filter.
Manufacturers who fail to comply with these requirements may face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, with a maximum of $50,000 in total fines. The Alabama Attorney General is authorized to seek injunctions against violators, recover civil penalties and legal costs, and revoke business licenses of non-compliant manufacturers.
State Senator Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, who sponsored the bill, emphasized the importance of protecting children:
“It’s all about protecting children,” Chambliss said outside the Senate floor last week, shortly after both bills passed out of the chamber.
The legislation does not apply to devices manufactured before June 1, 2025, video game consoles, or retailers selling the devices.
Some industry groups have expressed concerns about the law's implications. Justin Hill, a spokesperson for NetChoice, a trade association advocating for limited internet government control, stated:
“We all agree on the why” for the bill, but disagreed on the basis of free speech. He implied that this bill, as well as its companion, SB187, could face legal challenges.
SB187, the App Store Accountability Act, stalled in the House committee and is expected to be revisited in the next legislative session.
The full text of Act 2025-406 can be accessed HERE.
