April 22, 2005 | Sex & Society

Anti-porn law booster heads Net filter co.

Conflict of interest questions were being raised this week when it was revealed that a major booster of Utah's Net censorship law runs a Net filtering company that could potentially profit from its enactment.

The law, which was signed by Utah Governor Jon Huntsman last month, will require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block porn websites that are listed on a state-maintained "adult content registry." 

Jack Sunderlage is co-founder of Citizens Against Pornography. He reviewed the draft bill, attended legislative hearings and stood beside the Governor as he signed the bill into law. Sunderlage is also President and CEO of ContentWatch, a Salt Lake City-based company that makes Internet blocking software.

Suderlage maintains that his business has not benefited financially from the law since it was approved, insisting the company only produces software for individual computer users and small businesses, not for Internet Service Providers. But a ContentWatch representative made a sales call to at least one Utah ISP in the past month. The company also offers "partnerships" to ISPs who resell ContentWatch software to their clients.
[Salt Lake Tribune] [AVN Online]