Illinois bill would require birthdate registration for new phones to shield kids from adult content
Illinois bill would require birthdate registration for new devices to shield kids from adult content
Illinois may soon require you to enter your birthdate when buying a phone to help block adult content for kids.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The so-called "Digital Age Assurance Act" would make Illinois the first state in the country to require all residents to register their birthdate when they get a new cellphone or electronic device.
The purpose is to protect children under 18 from adult content.
What we know:
Illinois State Senator Willie Preston (D-Chicago) says there's a near fail-safe way to protect kids under 18: pass a law that requires Illinoisans to enter their birthdate when they purchase a new cellphone or electronic device.
"This is a one-time ask for your information and then you are either identified as an adult or an underage person," Preston said.
He says the phone would store the information and then block kids under 18 from accessing adult websites or apps – something he believes parents will appreciate, since kids typically find ways around the rules.
"You got a bunch of kids 10, 11, 12 or less running around as 25-year-olds online. And we need to stop it, and we can," Preston said.
He says the law would ensure the information isn't shared, and that no other personal information is involved.
"We're not calling for anyone's identity, we're not calling for ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation... we’re just trying to identify children," Preston said.
The other side:
The bill is supported by the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which says it would protect children from predatory websites. But it's opposed by groups like Planned Parenthood, Equality Illinois, and the ACLU. They say there are significant questions about privacy.
"How will that information be stored, and how securely will it be protected? Where will it be stored and how securely will it be protected?" asked ACLU of Illinois spokesman Ed Yohnka.
Yohnka also says it would block potentially adult content that they might not feel comfortable talking about with their parents.
"Information about health, safety, identity, sexual identity, orientation... these are things which young people often explore through the internet they’ll be blocked from, which could cause real harm to those children," Yohnka said.
What's next:
The bill is currently sitting in a Senate subcommittee on social media and A.I.
The Source: FOX 32's Paris Schutz reported on this story.