As a concerned advocate for digital literacy and online privacy, I urge the Illinois General Assembly to vote NO on the Children’s Social Media Safety Act. This bill, though well intentioned, will not effectively protect children from potentially harmful content online. Instead, it risks infringing on privacy, hindering open-source projects, unfairly discriminating against those less privileged who rely on public computers, and discouraging children from cultivating an interest in technology.

This act assumes that restricting access to certain online platforms is the best way to shield children from inappropriate content. However, children are often tech-savvy enough to circumvent such restrictions, rendering the act ineffective. There is also concern that by broadcasting a users age, it could make it easier for children to be targeted for those who wish too. Rather than blanket bans, we should focus on education and parental involvement as more effective means of guiding children’s online engagement.

The Children's Social Media Safety Act poses a genuine threat to privacy. In its current version it would require the age and/or birthday of the user to be given upon installing an operating system, initializing a new device, or via a system update for any existing devices. This does not feel overly invasive, but once this framework is in place it would be much easier for them to later require government issued ID to verify the age you gave is correct. There is currently a law passing in New York that does exactly this. This provision could lead to excessive data collection and surveillance, ultimately putting user privacy at risk. In a world where data is increasingly vulnerable, and data leaks have already seen many IDs leaked, protecting privacy should be a top priority.

Secondly, this act unfairly targets open source projects, as well as many unintended devices. The Children's Social Media Safety Act is written in a way that does not clearly differentiate devices. It states that this age must be set on all operating systems that communicate with an online app store, without taking into account just how many things in the modern world that applies to. From your car that lets you have apps such as maps and Spotify, to your smart tv which lets you download and update Netflix and Youtube, to your smart fridge. All of these devices would be required to set a user age. This act also fails to take into account open source operating systems. By definition, these systems have no centralized control, they allow the user to add or remove any tools or features they want from them, and they do not have an online account. These operating systems are used by many who wish to have complete control over their device, without linking it to an online account that can collect their personal data to sell to advertisers. Many of these systems are maintained by a small group of highly skilled volunteers or small companies, and provided for free, and they are the ones who will be disproportionately targeted by this.

Furthermore, the Children's Social Media Safety Act fails to address how this shall be applied to public and shared computers. Many libraries, schools, and colleges have computers that are available for students, staff, and the public to use. For many underprivilaged and unhoused people, this may be the only place they are able to use a computer or get reliable access to the internet. This act disproportionately harms these groups, seeing as it is not stated how these areas should be handled. It may be the case that many of these publicly available devices are set to the youngest age for convenience of the facility they are in. This would result in many adults losing access to parts of the internet, without any other options.

Lastly, stopping children from accessing varied content stifles curiosity and innovation. Many groundbreaking tech professionals today began exploring technology at a young age. Open-source projects, in particular, provide invaluable learning opportunities, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills. This act would require that anyone under the age of 18 would not be allowed to set up their own device. These are the things that will prevent children and young adults from exploring technology, developing a love for it, and eventually becoming the ones who will take the reigns of the next generation. I personally learned to build a computer, how to install and use several operating systems, and started learning to code all before I turned 14. By the time I had graduated high-school I had learned several programming languages, built many computers, coding websites from the ground up, and even dabble in robotics. To this day I have a love for programming, IT, and new technology, none of which would have happened if this law had been in place. Restricting access to these resources could deter children from pursuing technology, and dreams of how it could be used to make the world of tomorrow a better place for human kind.

Instead of broad restrictions, I propose investment in comprehensive digital literacy programs that empower both children and parents. Workshops, webinars, and educational resources can equip families with the tools to navigate the digital age safely and responsibly. Throughout history the question of how to handle letting children have access to new technology has always been a choice that must be made on a family by family basis. This decision should not rest with a lawmaker, it should fall to parents to decide what is and is not allowed for their children.

Let us not stifle creativity and learning in the name of safety. Join me in urging the Illinois General Assembly to rethink this approach. By signing this petition, you are advocating for a balanced, education-focused strategy that respects privacy and nurtures a generation of tech-savvy, responsible digital citizens. Please sign and share this petition to protect our children's future in the digital world. Below will also be attached links to the house and senate bills, and a tool for you to find your local representatives. I strongly urge you to contact them and tell them you do not support the Children's Social Media Safety Act. Together we are small, but as a group our voices are loud.

House Bill: House Bill HB5511

Senate Bill: Senate Bill SB3977

Find Your Rep: Illinois District Locator