Loading....
Using the internet shouldn't require an ID.
Protecting kids online is an admirable goal. Unfortunately, Congress has introduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that paradoxically expands big tech data collection on everyone, endangers LGBTQ youth, and applies overbroad censorship to kids’ experience online.
Tell Senate leadership: don’t attach KOSA to must-pass legislation!
Here's why we're worried about KOSA:
- KOSA puts up guard rails around certain content on platforms. This could mean adding ID requirements for everyone as a prerequisite to using online platforms.
- KOSA includes a vaguely-worded provision placing the onus on platforms to censor content on “matters that pose a risk to physical and mental health of a minor.” This provision could restrict teens’ access to queer communities and vital information about transition-related healthcare.
- KOSA calls for the creation of an age verification study at the device or operating system level, raising the specter of creating a parallel internet for people unwilling to submit to age verification data collection.
Tell Senate leadership to leave KOSA out of must-pass legislation!
Majority Leader Schumer, Chairwoman Cantwell, and Ranking Member Wicker:
We urge you to oppose the S. 3663, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). While the intentions behind KOSA are noble, the bill would be counterproductive if implemented. We oppose the bill for the following reasons:
- KOSA puts up guard rails around certain content on platforms. While this could be sensible in theory, in practice, KOSA incentivizes platforms to ascertain whether a user is over the age of 16 through the use of invasive data collection. If the European model is any indication, users unwilling to submit IDs or submit to facial recognition screening might have access only to a censored version of the internet.
- KOSA includes a vaguely-worded provision placing the onus on platforms to censor content on “matters that pose a risk to physical and mental health of a minor.” At the discretion of state attorneys general, this provision could restrict teens’ access to LGBTQ content online, including vital information about transition-related healthcare and online queer communities. Sexual health information could be similarly censored.
- KOSA calls for the creation of an age verification study at the device or operating system level, raising the specter of creating a parallel internet for people unwilling to submit to age verification data collection.
KOSA endangers LGBTQ youth and grants parents overbroad surveillance and censorship privileges, all while paradoxically increasing big tech data collection on everyone. We urge you to leave KOSA out of omnibus legislation so its flaws can be fixed.
Signed,
Sorry, we're not targeting any representatives in your district. But, you can still help!
Edit this message to tell users that can't take action (because of their location) how to contribute. For example, consider adding a link to a petition or donation page that you have created, or add social sharing options so that these supporters can help get the word out on social media.
Thank You