The bill, known as the Protection of Minors from Unfiltered Devices Act, aims to protect minors from accessing harmful material on the internet by requiring manufacturers of internet-enabled devices such as tablets and smartphones to activate existing filters upon activation of the device in the state of Alabama. The filters must be capable of preventing access to material deemed harmful to minors, which includes content related to nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse that does not have serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors. The bill defines terms such as "activate," "device," "filter," "harmful to minors," "internet," "manufacturer," "minor," "password," "smartphone," and "tablet."

The bill outlines that from January 1, 2024, manufacturers must ensure that devices automatically enable a filter that blocks harmful material when activated in Alabama. Users with a password can unblock filtered websites, and manufacturers are liable if a minor accesses harmful material due to non-compliance with the filter requirements. The bill also provides for civil penalties, with the Attorney General authorized to bring actions against violators, including injunctions and penalties up to $5,000 per violation, with a maximum of $50,000 in aggregate. Additionally, parents or guardians of minors who access harmful content due to a violation can sue manufacturers, with potential recovery of actual or liquidated damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. The act prohibits class action lawsuits and is set to become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 10A-1-5
Engrossed: 10A-1-5