this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
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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...

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[–] EricHill78@lemmy.world 56 points 1 year ago (3 children)

What ever happened to parental responsibility?

[–] Zeron@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago

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

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Haui@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 year ago

This is so tragic but actually makes sense. happens all around the world as well.

[–] Aagje_D_Vogel@feddit.nl 7 points 1 year ago

That's in the hands of the schools now. /s

[–] TheOSINTguy@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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.world 32 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They plan to make VPNs illegal.

[–] DarkDiamondK@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I already sail the internet seven seas, I don't mind breaking another law

[–] demlet@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.live 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

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 But that would be repealed as fast as it came when these very congressmen would phone angrily their district on why they can work from their million dollar home anymore.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.world 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.works 6 points 1 year 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.

[–] infyrin@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At this point, everyone is breaking the law online already. It's just a matter of the level.

[–] Steeve@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

I once pretended to be over 18 on a... website

[–] ilmagico@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that actually in the bill, or are you just saying this could be the next move?

[–] demlet@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.ee 4 points 1 year ago

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

[–] MrHand@lemmy.world -5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What makes you think they aren't going to come after that too? The whole point is for elites to retain narrative control and bring the whole internet their grip so Donald Trump types never get elected again.

[–] twack@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

Donald trump was never elected by the people in the first place, and he abused a ridiculous system created to fluff up the power of states with comparatively few people living in them. When that didn't work the second time around, he started a misinformation campaign and flat out attempted to undermine the democracy our nation is built upon in multiple ways.

Including him in your comment destroys your otherwise excellent point, because the Donald is exactly the type of person that would abuse this system to censor information he didn't like.

[–] CookieJarObserver@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Kids in general are a danger to our rights.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 31 points 1 year 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.org 15 points 1 year 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!

[–] infyrin@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This will not do anything. Kids are typically dumb online, adventurous, but dumb online who'll do dumb things in unpredictable fashions. It's like putting all of those plug covers to make sure children don't pull them off, except they will and do, prompting them to curiously stick a fork into the socket.

That senator is more concerned about what's online for kids, than how Republicans are actively pushing kids to work jobs that are unsafe for them. Might want to re-evaluate your priorities, dude.

Don't even get me started how kids have long been able to lie about their age online to get to adulterated content.

[–] 1847953620@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I also hate contaminated porn

[–] demlet@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Save the puppies and kids!

[–] BarterClub@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What is this? Is it no longer change.org?

[–] BarterClub@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Change.org is a site to sign onto. This one sends your congress letters.