Porn-Reporting Bill Rejected by California Senate Committee
 

SACRAMENTO - The California Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday voted down a proposed bill requiring computer technicians to report pornographic images of children potentially found while fixing any hardware. The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), would have taken an existing law requiring film developers to report child pornography and applied it to computer-repair personnel. The state assembly unanimously passed the bill last month.

Opponents of the bill maintain that broadening the law could invade privacy of computer users and could lead to laws necessitating other occupations to report suspected unlawfulness.

Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), Public Safety Committee chairperson, voiced her opposition to the bill; her two Democratic colleagues on the committee chose not to vote on it, and the measure died in committee by a 2-1 vote with two abstentions. State Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) and state Sen. Bob Margett (R-Arcadia) both voted in favor of the bill.

Currently, six states — Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota — require computer technicians to report illegal photos or movies.

A related bill expired in the Senate Public Safety Committee in 2006.

Re: Porn-Reporting Bill Rejected by California Senate Committee
 

The concept seems sound, but I imagine the bill writers made a mess of it.

Re: Porn-Reporting Bill Rejected by California Senate Committee
 

The last thing I want from some computer tech at Best Buy is to try and determine the age of the women in my porn collection...

Re: Porn-Reporting Bill Rejected by California Senate Committee
 

I'm with Syykboy. If someone reports one of our websites to the feds, someone -- hopefully someone with half a brain -- will look at the content and if they agree it appears to be underage, will pursue the matter. However, if a computer tech turns you in, what would they do besides confiscate our computer on the spot? If the tech was wrong or just being a jerk, we're still fucked.