MINORS, HARMFUL MATERIALS, AND DEVICES (SB 1163) – OPPOSE

Link to bill: https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2023/legislation/S1163/

Summary of Legislation

The bill requires cell phone manufacturers to automatically have pornography filters turned on when a phone is purchased for a minor. The bill also allows individuals to sue manufacturers for alleged violations of the law.

• This is another bill that does not directly relate to firearms but concerns gun owners for several reasons.
• First, the bill blames cell phone manufacturers for violations. This is the exact same thing that is happening to gun manufacturers in 2023. Multiple states have laws punishing firearms manufacturers or allow law suits as a result of someone misusing their product. SB 1163 will lay the groundwork for lawsuits to also come against firearm manufacturers. Precedent will be set in Idaho courts that the Idaho legislature is okay suing the manufacturers of products that are misused.
• The second problem is that the Idaho legislature was setting up a moral quandary by supporting the bill. If they are doing this bill to “protect the children,” then why wouldn’t they also vote for safe storage requirement for guns? Either they support that as well, or they are hypocrites for doing one and not the other.