Dear Supporters,

As we rally for the Digital Liberty Act—a vital update to our constitutional rights that would shield free speech, privacy, and anonymity in the digital era from unwarranted government and corporate overreach—recent events underscore the escalating threats we face. What began as targeted pressure on entertainment platforms has evolved into invasive policies that endanger everyone's online freedoms. We must demand accountability and protections now, before these trends irreversibly reshape the internet.

The Catalyst: Financial Pressure on Creative Platforms

In July 2025, the Australian advocacy group Collective Shout launched an open letter campaign urging payment processors like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Stripe to sever ties with platforms hosting adult-themed video games.

They specifically targeted titles on Steam and itch.io that they claimed featured rape, incest, and child sexual abuse, arguing these normalized violence against women and girls.

Collective Shout, which describes itself as a grassroots movement challenging the objectification of women and sexualization of girls, celebrated the outcomes as a win against "abuse games," emphasizing their focus on content involving sexualized violence rather than all NSFW material.

However, the response from platforms and processors went far broader.

Steam removed hundreds of adult titles and updated policies to prohibit "certain kinds of adult-only content" to appease processors.

itch.io initially deindexed all NSFW games from search and browse features, citing scrutiny from processors triggered by Collective Shout's efforts.

This affected not just controversial games but also LGBTQ+ titles, anti-rape narratives, and indie works that aligned with anti-violence themes, sparking accusations of overreach and collateral damage.

On social media, users decried it as a "censorship war" extending beyond games to other media, with calls for mass emails and phone campaigns to processors to reverse the restrictions.

Free speech advocates, including the International Game Developers Association, urged transparency from processors, while platforms like GOG defiantly hosted NSFW giveaways to highlight censorship risks.

The Expansion: Surveillance Laws in the Name of Child Protection

This momentum has fueled a global surge in surveillance-oriented laws under the banner of child protection, now infiltrating our personal devices.

In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act 2023 began full enforcement in July 2025, mandating platforms—including social media and porn sites—to use “highly effective” age assurance tools such as:

• Facial scans
• Photo ID matching
• Credit card verification

These systems are designed to block minors from accessing harmful content.

Supporters, including government officials, argue these tools safeguard children without unnecessary data storage.

However, critics like Index on Censorship warn of overreach, stating these requirements can:

• Chill anonymous speech
• Create barriers for adults who refuse identity verification
• Expand monitoring of lawful online activity

The Next Frontier: Age Verification Built Into Our Devices

In California, the Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), signed in October 2025 and effective January 1, 2027, goes even further.

The law requires operating system providers—including Apple, Microsoft, Google, and even Linux or SteamOS—to prompt users for birthdates or ages during device setup on:

• Phones
• Computers
• Tablets
• Other smart devices

This information generates encrypted age brackets such as:

• Under 13
• 13–15
• 16–17
• 18+

These brackets are then shared via real-time APIs with app developers upon request, allowing platforms to automatically adjust what users can access.

Proponents frame this system as a privacy-focused tool that empowers parents.

However, free speech organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have raised serious concerns.

They warn that such systems may:

• Build vast identity databases vulnerable to hacking
• Increase risks of identity theft
• Create new avenues for government misuse

These concerns are not hypothetical.

In 2025, a breach involving Discord exposed approximately 70,000 users’ IDs and verification scans, demonstrating how sensitive verification systems can become targets.

Critics argue that widespread age-verification infrastructure:

• Erodes anonymity
• Chills free expression
• Normalizes monitoring of what individuals read, watch, and share online

What Is at Stake

For more than three decades, the internet has thrived on open access, privacy, and anonymous participation.

Today, under the guise of protection, we are witnessing a shift toward controlled and surveilled digital spaces.

This moment is not simply about safety policy.

It is about whether fundamental rights survive the transition into the digital age.

The Solution: The Digital Liberty Act

The Digital Liberty Act would address these concerns by:

• Prohibiting unchecked identity verification requirements for general internet access
• Protecting anonymous speech as a cornerstone of digital freedom
• Establishing firm legal limits on surveillance expansion into private devices

This proposal aims to preserve the principles that allowed the internet to become the most powerful platform for creativity, communication, and free expression in history.

We Need Your Help

With only 40 signatures so far, this movement needs your voice.

Please:

• Read the full Digital Liberty Act 
• Sign the petition
• Share it widely
• Contact your lawmakers

Together, we can secure a free and private digital future for all.

Thank you for your commitment.