As of late, the Internet and digital rights appear to be increasingly under attack. Lawmakers and other people who supposedly know what's good for us introduce policies which threaten the freedom and privacy of users. One such policy is the Kids Online Safety Act, also known as KOSA.

KOSA claims to aim for making the Internet "safe for kids". While protecting children on the Internet is not a bad thing per se, the way KOSA intends to go about doing it is pretty bad. In order to "protect the children", KOSA intends to impose censorship (including restricting helpful resources for minors in tough situations) across the Internet, advance the usage of surveillance systems, and collect more personal data from users. These changes will not just affect children, but adults as well. Adults' freedom of expression will be hindered by this policy, as will their privacy. People of all ages will be harmed by KOSA.

As stated earlier, protecting children on the Internet is not strictly a bad thing, but much of the responsibility lies with parents' prudential judgement and not government-enforced policies. Not every child is the same, so parents must make decisions based on the circumstances of their own situations, including their child's age (children closer to adulthood should be given more autonomy), their child's needs (children may need resources for their physical or mental health issues), and other related aspects. However, if the parents of a child are abusive or generally making wrong decisions and the child is in danger, the child needs to be have ways to get help. KOSA's proposals will cause problems for both parties: responsible parents will have less options for handling their own children, while children who are mistreated by bad parents may have less places to turn for help.

I am aware that many other petitions have been made regarding this same issue, but I wanted to voice my opinions on the matter as well as keep the efforts going. This policy, along with any policy like it, must be fought against. Our freedom is in danger, as are the values that founded our country, and these policies are contributing to that danger.

Learn more about the dangers of KOSA:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/07/27/congress-pretends-its-fixed-all-the-problems-with-kosa-it-hasnt/

(NOTE: This petition may be edited over time in order to improve certain details and provide more things to know about the bill.)