The Kids Online Safety Act is Still A Huge Danger to Our Rights Online
www.eff.org
Congress has resurrected the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. KOSA was introduced in 2022 but failed to gain traction, and today its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and...

The Kids Online Safety Act is Still A Huge Danger to Our Rights Online.::Congress has resurrected the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. KOSA was introduced in 2022 but failed to gain traction, and today its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and…

    • Zeron@lemmy.worldEnglish
      35·
      11 months ago

      Nothing. Policy makers are just using their “think of the children” defense to constantly push more and more overreaching policy.

    • uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      251·
      11 months ago

      We gave up on parental responsibility when deregulation, deunionization and Reaganomics forced all adults into the workforce.

      Now that we’ve driven families to dysfunction, even CWS is underbudgeted with an impacted caseload. So they’ll let child abuse slide so long as the kid’s not infested with lice and scabies.

  • TheOSINTguy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    401·
    11 months ago

    If this passes I could see Tor usage and VPN uses rising. Not to also mention something like this would be hard to enforce and would face some backlash.

        • demlet@lemmy.worldEnglish
          121·
          11 months ago

          I’m not an expert by any stretch, but couldn’t they force your ISP to just shut off your internet if you use a VPN? Maybe I don’t understand how it actually works well enough.

          • Irisos@lemmy.umainfo.liveEnglish
            21·
            11 months ago

            They could implement restrictions to block VPN traffic. But that would be repealed as fast as it came when these very congressmen would phone angrily their district on why they can work from their million dollar home anymore.

            Support: Sorry VPNs are now blocked and you cannot work remotely without them

            Congressman: Who are the idiots that voted for these laws

            Support: Well, you and your friends

            • demlet@lemmy.worldEnglish
              191·
              11 months ago

              Ha, and you don’t think Congress would write in an exception for them and their wealthy donors? I’m surprised anyone in the US believes fairness is on the table anymore.

              • PsychedSy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                6·
                11 months ago

                There’s money to be made by requiring VPN companies to meet minimum requirements that few companies can actually meet or are willing to. Backdoors for example.

        • demlet@lemmy.worldEnglish
          9·
          11 months ago

          More like a next move. If I remember correctly, there was language in the TikTok bill a while back that would have effectively made using a VPN illegal. Maybe I’m misremembering that. I have no doubt there are people who want to make it happen.

          • Petter1@lemm.eeEnglish
            51·
            11 months ago

            Companies relay on VPN to allow remote work while protecting their IP. But maybe it’s only about VPN to/from foreign servers.

  • uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    331·
    11 months ago

    Until we have free (tax-paid¹) school lunches and comprehensive child healthcare, until our kids are not commonly impoverished and skipping meals, I don’t buy into protect the children bills. The federal government wants to protect plutocrats and the established hierarchy, and has not two fucks to rub together to give regarding US children.

    ¹ Our taxes also pay for fields of unused tanks, laser planes, and active camouflage development all of which cost way more than comprensive child welfare programs ever could. And thats before we get into fossil fuel and automotive industry subsidizes. The federal government already is spending grocery money on Funko POP and pogs.

  • skymtf@pricefield.orgEnglish
    161·
    10 months ago

    Whenever the feds say “protect the children” I know they are lying. This bill is dangerous and a danger to multiple communities. If it passes ID checks will become a thing, and guess what. ID checks will likely use Web Environment Integrity to verify if your OS is “secure” before allowing you to scan your ID. This bill is a fuck you to adults, Linux users, and queer people!