Bill
S 1158
Idaho bill requires new smartphones and tablets sold in Idaho to have an internet filter enabled for minors at activation, with penalties for manufacturers if not compliance.
Note on documents provided
- The materials supplied include two distinct bills that share the identifier “S 1158” but come from different jurisdictions and have different subject matter:
- An Idaho “Children’s Device Protection Act” with full bill text provided (adds a new Chapter 21 to Title 48, Idaho Code).
- A Massachusetts draft titled “An Act to enhance state anti-trust powers and enforcement” (text is a short statement of purpose and direction).
- Other items in the packet (sponsors such as Mike Lee, James Lankford, etc., HR 2870, and varied committee actions) appear inconsistent with the Idaho and Massachusetts texts. Verify the correct jurisdiction and official legislative source before relying on this summary for legal or procedural purposes.
Below are concise summaries of each bill included in the documents.
Purpose
- To reduce minors’ access to pornographic/obscene material on smartphones and tablets by requiring device-level internet filtering during activation, promoting minors’ mental health while aiming to respect free-speech concerns.
Key provisions
- Applicability: Tablets and smartphones manufactured on or after January 1, 2026, and activated in Idaho.
- Filter requirements at activation (effective Jan 1, 2026):
- Devices must contain an internet filter.
- Age must be determined during activation/account setup.
- Filter must be enabled automatically for users identified as minors.
- A password mechanism must be available to enable/disable/modify the filter.
- Devices must notify users when content is blocked.
- Password-holding users may deactivate/reactivate filters.
- Definitions: “Device,” “Filter,” “Manufacturer,” “Obscene material,” etc., are specifically defined (minor = under 18, not emancipated).
- Manufacturer liability:
- Civil liability if (1) device activated in Idaho, (2) filter not enabled per requirements, and (3) a minor accesses obscene material on the device.
- Safe-harbor: manufacturers making a “good faith” effort to provide a generally accepted, commercially reasonable filter are exempt.
- Retailers are not liable under the chapter.
- Enforcement by Attorney General:
- AG may seek injunctions, civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation (max $50,000 per case), recover investigative costs and attorneys’ fees, and other relief.
- AG may seek revocation of business licenses for violations.
- Each noncompliant device counts as a separate violation.
- Effective date: Emergency declared; act effective July 1, 2025.
Fiscal note and statement of purpose
- Proponent-prepared fiscal note states no fiscal impact to the General Fund and frames the measure as leveraging existing device filters, with parents able to turn filters off.
Potential impact
- Affects device manufacturers (subject to device-level requirements and potential civil penalties), minor users and their families, and the Attorney General’s enforcement workload.
- Could shift design/configuration defaults on new devices sold or activated in Idaho; may create compliance costs for manufacturers and potential legal exposure if filters are not enabled or effective.
Purpose and main features (as provided)
- Calls for stronger, more proactive state-level antitrust enforcement and monitoring.
- Directs the Massachusetts Attorney General to issue an annual “Economic Enforcement Report” recommending enforcement priorities and reforms to support competitive markets, with special attention to chain stores, pricing/sales practices, and protections that help small and medium businesses compete.
- The provided text is high-level policy language rather than detailed statutory mechanics.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a focused summary for one specific jurisdiction only (please confirm which), or
- Extract likely compliance steps manufacturers would need under the Idaho bill, or
- Draft suggested questions or talking points for the scheduled hearing on 07/29/2025.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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