There's a bill being widely circulated and passing thru various chambers of at least 30 states right now, commonly being referred to as the HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD EXPLOITATION PREVENTION ACT, or in Florida's case, we're apparently calling this the "HB 337:Internet Access" bill. Jokes, moral considerations and politics aside - Does anyone have any further information on potentially related bills passing thru states beyond Florida, and has anyone seriously considered the infrastructure changes/impairments necessary to comply, in the unusual event that HB337 or any of the many other bills in various other states passes? Edited HB Brief: An act relating to Internet access; prohibiting covered businesses from manufacturing, distributing, or selling certain devices unless the device contains an active and operating filter that blocks Internet access to specified types of sexually oriented material, prostitution, assignation, lewdness, and human trafficking; providing for injunctive relief for violations; providing requirements for a consumer to have such filter deactivated; requiring a filter deactivation fee and providing for the collection and distribution thereof; prohibiting the distribution or sale of certain devices without filters to minors and adults; providing criminal penalties; providing for jurisdiction to prosecute violations; providing for continuing duties of covered businesses; requiring covered businesses to respond to reports of obscene material that has breached the filter; providing for civil penalties for violations; requiring covered businesses to unblock non obscene material; exempting certain websites from filtering; amending s. 16.56, F.S.; authorizing the Office of Statewide Prosecution to prosecute violations; providing an effective date. The Full Text can be found here: FL/HB 337 <http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/0337/BillText/__/PDF> On the technical side, you'd probably find yourself chuckling through this reading exercise. However, our regulatory attorney was assured this bill for which is currently under consideration is no laughing matter and is being seriously considered in a multitude of state venues, while others have been dismissive. We've initiated several calls with aide's for Rep. Spanos, the Florida House sponsor, and from what we can tell, the bill is far from the chopping block. Considering the technical impacts not only to internet access device manufacturers, and the implied impacts on service providers like ourselves, i'm surprised it hasn't garnered more attention, nationally.
From a curiosity perspective: The source of this bill appears to be an individual by the name Mark "Chris" Sevier, the same individual whom has virtually sued most of Silicon Valley, and I'll leave it at that in hopes of being able to keep this thread on a technical/legislative tone.
NANOG note: Our objective in starting this tread is not to question the intent, moral purpose or potential political agendas surrounding Florida House Bill 337 or bills of similar nature, only it's technical impact on device manufacturers, internet access providers and other alike legislatively covered businesses, assuming passage, as currently written. --