1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I urge you to reject KOSA, the SCREEN Act, the CHATBOT Act, and the Youth AI Privacy Act currently before the Senate Commerce Committee. Despite their stated goals, these bills would undermine privacy and free expression for everyone. Privacy Destruction: Each bill incentivizes age verification systems that require people to surrender sensitive information—government IDs, facial scans, or bank records—simply to access lawful online speech and services. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation warns, these create new databases of personal information vulnerable to breaches, misuse, or government demands. The SCREEN Act specifically targets VPN users, forcing verification on traffic from known VPN addresses and discouraging privacy tools millions rely on for protecting personal data, securing public Wi-Fi, and safeguarding journalists and activists. Overbroad Application: The SCREEN Act applies to nearly any service hosting even a single piece of sexually explicit content—including Netflix, Reddit, Discord, and social media platforms—not just dedicated adult websites. This sweeping scope would force millions of adult internet users to prove their age to access lawful content. Harm to Families and Minors: The CHATBOT Act forces one parenting model on every family by requiring parental consent or family accounts when services have "reason to believe" a user is under 18. Given the liability risks, AI companies will likely impose strict age verification on all users. Congress should not extend COPPA-style parental permission to older teenagers who can use libraries, Wikipedia, and newspapers without government interference. The Privacy Paradox: The Youth AI Privacy Act contains vague provisions allowing companies to collect additional data from minors for "testing" and addressing "harm"—collecting more information from those already targeted by identity theft. These bills create age gates to determine who qualifies for protections, when privacy safeguards should apply to all users equally. These bills move in the opposite direction of meaningful privacy reform. Instead, pursue comprehensive legislation that protects everyone's privacy without undermining security or free expression. Thank you for your consideration.