1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to reject the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). While I share concerns about protecting young people online, this legislation will not make children safer and will instead harm the most vulnerable youth who depend on online communities for support and lifesaving information. KOSA's fundamental problem is that it is not content neutral. The bill's duty of care covers content-specific aspects of recommendation systems, including personalized recommendations that are explicitly listed as design features. This means the Federal Trade Commission could pressure platforms to filter content on LGBTQ issues, abortion, and other controversial but vital topics by claiming that algorithmically recommending such content causes mental health outcomes like anxiety and depression. This is the exact rhetoric that has been used to pass bans on inclusive books, abortion access, and gender-affirming healthcare in many states. Algorithmic recommendation includes showing users posts from friends they follow, since most platforms curate content rather than displaying all posts. History shows us how platforms respond to this type of liability. After SESTA/FOSTA passed, platforms engaged in aggressive filtering and suppression of important content. Existing content filtering systems already disproportionately impact marginalized creators, resulting in discrimination and censorship. KOSA would amplify these harms. The bill also expands invasive surveillance through age verification and parental monitoring tools. These measures pose serious safety risks for young people trying to escape domestic violence and abuse, and they needlessly invade the privacy of all internet users. Dozens of LGBTQ+ and civil rights organizations oppose KOSA because they recognize that trans youth and human rights cannot be collateral damage. I urge you to reject this legislation and instead support a comprehensive federal data privacy law that protects young people without enabling censorship of the resources that marginalized youth depend on for survival.