1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the 18 internet bills currently being considered by Congress, particularly in the House Energy and Commerce committee, that would establish dangerous censorship and surveillance infrastructure under the guise of protecting children and safety. These bills represent a fundamental threat to free expression and privacy online. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would give government unprecedented control over internet content while harming the very young people it claims to protect by restricting access to lifesaving LGBTQ resources and comprehensive sex education. The SCREEN Act would mandate privacy-invasive online ID checks nationwide, forcing websites to collect sensitive identifying information like driver's licenses and passports through third-party verification companies, effectively killing online anonymity. The encryption-targeting bills are equally concerning. The EARN IT Act of 2023, Cooper Davis Act, Take it Down Act, and STOP CSAM Act all undermine end-to-end encryption in different ways, making everyone less safe while expanding surveillance powers. The Take it Down Act, for example, provides no exception for encrypted private messages, forcing companies to abandon encryption entirely. These measures would harm vulnerable communities including survivors of interpersonal violence, abortion seekers and providers, and activists who depend on encrypted communications for their safety. Nineteen states have already adopted online ID check laws that create databases vulnerable to hacking while using unreliable and biased facial recognition technologies. These systems allow government to limit access to reproductive healthcare information and online LGBTQ communities. Additionally, threats to sunset Section 230 would end online free expression as we know it. This legal framework protects platforms from lawsuits over third-party content while enabling basic content moderation. Without it, platforms would face an impossible choice between accepting legal liability for all user content or becoming unmoderated spaces unable to address even basic spam. I urge you to oppose these Trojan horse bills that would create surveillance infrastructure and censorship mechanisms that could be weaponized against marginalized communities and dissenting voices.