"The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) sent out a request for public comment on Thursday calling for parents, educators and other interested parties to write in and share their concerns and “best practices” around internet usage of kids and teens."
* * *
The request urged parents, educators, caregivers, technologists, advertisers and online creators to submit comments. To comment, go to the regulations.gov website, search for NTIA-2023-008 and select 'comment now.'"
— "Got an idea for protecting kids online? You can now take action" (unpaywalled gift link) The federal government wants you to weigh in on potential laws and guidelines around social media and young people" Tatum Hunter, September 28, 2023
On ntia.gov, you can see their press release:
NTIA Seeks Comment on Protecting Kids Online
which links to their request for comment:
Kids Online Health and Safety Request for Comment
It gives the same instruction for commenting.
Unfortunately, the comment page doesn't seem to be available yet on regulations.gov as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Sept. 28.
Previously:
"KOSA: A Nationwide Anti-Trans/LGBTQ+ Bill in All but Name" And What You Can Do to Stop It, Julia Serano, Medium, September 13, 2023. At least at the moment (Sept. 28), it appears this isn't paywalled. If you hit Medium's paywall, try the same post on Substack.
Serano says:
"...the language regarding what constitutes 'harm' is written in an extremely broad way, applying to anything that might impact 'anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and suicidal behaviors' in minors.
And who gets to decide whether minors are being negatively impacted in these ways? State attorneys general. You know, people like Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who earlier this year announced an emergency rule banning gender-affirming care for most trans people of all ages. Or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who last year declared that gender-affirming care for minors constitutes 'child abuse,' leaving trans children susceptible to being removed from their parents’ custody."
Serano quotes Senator Marsha Blackburn admitting that this is KOSA's purpose. Blackburn referred to "protecting minor children from the transgender in this culture and that influence" in the same breath with KOSA when asked for "the top issue that conservatives should be taking action on."
Serano adds: "And it’s not just LGBTQ+ content that is likely to be targeted. Republican state attorneys general could also target information about abortion, or 'CRT,' or basically anything they oppose that can be flimsily tied to children’s mental health issues."
Serano's call to action:
"...contact your senators and representatives ASAP and tell them you strongly oppose the bill. You can do so via the website StopKosa.com — just enter your information and they’ll send a letter to your lawmakers or provide you with what you need to call them yourself. The Electric Frontier Foundation has set up a similar webform."
Jude Ellison Doyle says:
"..discussions are being held about how to make the Internet safer — but those conversations don’t hinge on finding legislative means of stamping out Internet-crowdsourced violence. They hinge on stamping out trans people.
The Kid’s Online Safety Act, a bill with broad bipartisan support and the vocal backing of Joe Biden, is nominally intended to shield children from “harmful content” or content that encourages self-harm (like, say, pro-ana content that encourages eating disorders). In fact, conservative lawmakers, including Senator Marsha Blackburn, are already celebrating the fact that KOSA will allow them to ban content by and about transgender people."
KiwiFarms Went Down. Now Everything is KiwiFarms. It’s been a year since the famous hate forum went down, and the Internet is more hostile than ever to marginalized groups. Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Medium, September 7, 2023
"U.S. Senator: 'Kids Online Safety Act' will target trans content" The lead sponsor stated in a video that it will be used to 'protect minor children from the transgender in our culture'. Erin Reed. LA Blade. September 3, 2023.
"Congress Is Pushing An Online Safety Bill Supported By Anti-LGBTQ Groups" Advocates say the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) will be weaponized to censor LGBTQ content. Janus Rose, Vice, August 3, 2023
"Senators revive kids online safety push as states bypass Washington." (subscriber paywall) Analysis by Cristiano Lima with research by David DiMolfetta. Washington Post. May 3, 2023
Kids Online Safety Act would target trans content, senator confirms "There's this giant censorship machine that also is privacy invasive." Anna Iovine, Mashable, September 4, 2023
The Internet Is About to Get a Lot Worse Happy Dancing #109, Charlie Jane Anders, August 22, 2023.
"Elizabeth Warren Just Backed an ‘Online Safety’ Bill That Will Harm LGBTQ Youth": The Kids Online Safety Act has gained support from right-wing groups that want to crack down on LGBTQ content, and now Senator Elizabeth Warren. Evan Greer. Vice, October 6, 2023.
Heads up
A proposed Minnesota Kids Code for internet restrictions. Oregon recently suffered a similar proposal.
Florida House Approves Bill Banning Social Media For Kids Under 16 The bill, which passed the House in a vote of 106 to 13, will now go to Florida's GOP-controlled Senate for a final vote. Sebastian Murdock, HuffPost, Jan 25, 2024
KOSA
Back in play, January 2024.Does the government care about your internet privacy?
"The National Security Agency has been buying Americans’ web browsing data from commercial data brokers without warrants, intelligence officials disclosed in documents made public by a US senator Thursday.
The purchases include information about the websites Americans visit and the apps that they use, said Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, releasing newly unclassified letters he received from the Pentagon in recent weeks confirming the sales.
The disclosures are the latest evidence that government agencies routinely buy sensitive information about Americans from commercial marketplaces that they would otherwise be required to obtain via court order."
The NSA buys Americans’ internet data, newly released documents show Brian Fung, CNN, January 26, 2024
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