The US is on the cusp of a digital age-gate revolution, where half of the country now requires age verification to access adult content or watch porn. This trend has sparked resistance from digital rights advocates, who claim it will make the internet less safe and more exploitative.
As Congress considers 19 online safety bills, which include provisions for ID or age verification, Fight for the Future is hosting a week of events to raise awareness about the dangers of these laws. The organization believes that age verification will lead to increased censorship and surveillance, and will have a chilling effect on free speech and democratic freedom.
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Reducing Exploitative Social Media Exposure for Teens Act are two bills that have been particularly contentious. KOSA passed with bipartisan approval in the Senate last year, but has stalled in Congress. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act is another bill that has failed to gain traction.
Fight for the Future director Evan Greer and campaigner Janus Rose have criticized Democratic lawmakers who support these bills, arguing that they are setting a dangerous precedent by making age verification mandatory. They believe that KOSA takes the same logic of bans on drag shows and LGBTQ+ books and applies it to the internet, allowing censorship of information in the name of protecting kids from real online harm.
The push for age verification is not just about protecting children, but also about controlling the flow of information and limiting free speech. As Fight for the Future's campaigner Sarah Philips notes, "The thing that people misunderstand most about age verification is that it actually applies to all of us." If we age-gate the internet and implement mandates, everyone will have to prove that they are not a child, whether they are 18 or 50.
In an era where surveillance capitalism and big tech companies wield significant power, it's essential to critically examine these bills and their potential impact on our digital rights. The resistance movement led by Fight for the Future is crucial in pushing back against these laws and ensuring that our online freedoms are protected.
As Congress considers 19 online safety bills, which include provisions for ID or age verification, Fight for the Future is hosting a week of events to raise awareness about the dangers of these laws. The organization believes that age verification will lead to increased censorship and surveillance, and will have a chilling effect on free speech and democratic freedom.
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Reducing Exploitative Social Media Exposure for Teens Act are two bills that have been particularly contentious. KOSA passed with bipartisan approval in the Senate last year, but has stalled in Congress. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act is another bill that has failed to gain traction.
Fight for the Future director Evan Greer and campaigner Janus Rose have criticized Democratic lawmakers who support these bills, arguing that they are setting a dangerous precedent by making age verification mandatory. They believe that KOSA takes the same logic of bans on drag shows and LGBTQ+ books and applies it to the internet, allowing censorship of information in the name of protecting kids from real online harm.
The push for age verification is not just about protecting children, but also about controlling the flow of information and limiting free speech. As Fight for the Future's campaigner Sarah Philips notes, "The thing that people misunderstand most about age verification is that it actually applies to all of us." If we age-gate the internet and implement mandates, everyone will have to prove that they are not a child, whether they are 18 or 50.
In an era where surveillance capitalism and big tech companies wield significant power, it's essential to critically examine these bills and their potential impact on our digital rights. The resistance movement led by Fight for the Future is crucial in pushing back against these laws and ensuring that our online freedoms are protected.
. It's not just about protecting kids, it's like, a slippery slope where we're gonna have to start policing ourselves on what we consume online. I mean, what's next? Mandatory ID checks for streaming services or social media? It's like, how do they plan on distinguishing between 18-year-olds and 18-year-olds who are just really naive 
. And what about all the legit issues with age verification that have been raised by digital rights groups? Like, haven't we learned from past mistakes where over-regulation has led to more harm than good? We need to take a step back and think critically about these bills before they become law 
. It's time for us to push back against this age-gate revolution 
. And it's not just about the internet either, as Sarah Philips said, it could apply to all of us, regardless of age 
. I get where Fight for the Future is coming from, but I think we need to be careful about overstepping our bounds and sacrificing our digital rights in the process 
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. Can't believe they want to control what we watch online... age verification just a slippery slope to more censorship 
. Need to protect our rights, not restrict them 
this whole age verification thing is giving me the heebie-jeebies, you know? like, what's next? 
i get that some ppl think it's about protecting kids, but come on, that's not a reason to limit free speech and info access for everyone. we gotta be careful about where we draw the line 
and make sure we're not just creating more problems than solutions 
! I mean, think about it, if we can't even trust 18-year-olds to make their own decisions about what they watch online, how are we supposed to expect them to vote or join the military? 
It's a slippery slope and I'm all for taking control of the flow of information. Those digital rights advocates just want to let kids run wild on the internet and expose themselves to mature content without any consequences. 
It's about time someone took responsibility for their own online choices. And let's be real, if we can verify age, why not also require ID to buy liquor or enter certain events? It's all about setting a precedent and taking back control of our digital lives 
. its already hard enough to navigate online without governments or corporations trying to control what info we can access 
? let's focus on creating a safer internet through education & community involvement 
. I mean, I'm old enough to know what's right from wrong and can decide for myself what content I want to watch or read. It's like they're trying to babysit us online and it just feels so... restrictive 
. Can't we just be trusted to make our own decisions online? It's like they're trying to control what we can and can't do... it's just not cool 
this is just another way 4 big tech 2 control the info flow & limit free speech. and wut about ppl who cant afford 2 pay 4 verification? its like they wanna create a digital divide 
we need 2 be careful not 2 let these bills slip thru without a fight 
... think about it, they're trying to regulate everything just because some kid got hurt from watching a funny video 
It's like they're trying to turn the internet into some kinda digital gated community 
and let's not forget about free speech 
we need to be careful what laws we pass so they don't stifle our creativity and expression
and what's next, ID checks for buying anything online?! 
that would be so invasive! 
this is like, totally not the solution I was hoping for...
but mandatory age verification feels like a slippery slope to me... what's next? controlling our social media feeds based on our past interests or what we've liked in the past? it's all about free speech and democratic freedom, right?