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

I urge you to oppose mandates for intrusive age‑verification systems and instead consider this alternative to keep children safe: require that home internet routers sold in our state include built‑in, privacy‑protecting parental controls that are enabled by default (which can then be tweaked/turned off at the parents' discretion). We can all agree that children face significant online risks. But age verification schemes threaten privacy by requiring identity documents, biometric scans, or centralized tracking—creating expansive databases vulnerable to breaches and misuse. They also chill lawful adult speech and access. Router‑level parental controls offer a safer, practical alternative. I recommend the following policy elements: - Mandatory features: age‑based profiles (child, teen, adult), device‑level assignment, time limits/curfews, and easy one‑click “safe” defaults during setup. - Privacy protections: prohibit sale or sharing of identified user data, require local processing by default, end‑to‑end encryption for any cloud services, and minimal log retention with breach notification rules. - Interoperability and accessibility: require standard APIs for third‑party management apps and provide multilingual, low‑literacy setup guides. - Certification and labeling: create a state certification program testing effectiveness and privacy compliance; require clear labeling at point of sale. - Education: fund awareness campaigns and school resources on using parental controls and online safety. This approach preserves anonymity, reduces centralized attack surfaces, empowers parents to tailor protections, and is technologically feasible and cost‑effective—manufacturers already ship many of these features. It protects children without creating new statewide surveillance infrastructure. Please champion legislation that mandates privacy‑respecting parental controls on home routers as a balanced, effective solution to protect children online.