1. United States
2. R.I.
3. Letter

I understand that you are in support of Internet censorship bills such as KOSA and repealing Section 230 of the Communications Act. I completely understand the appeal of taking action to protect minors online. But there are already tools in place to do that, that parents just aren't using. There are already Safe Search options, filtering and blocking, parental controls, and ways to block entire websites to keep kids off and safe in online spaces that just are not being used. Passing censorship bills would only give the government unprecedented control over the Internet, and that is a massive, massive oversight, especially under our current administration. We are already see the issues in other countries that have similar legislation. Countries like China that massively restrict its citizens' Internet access, allowing them only access to certain state-approved websites and information. In the UK, where people are forced to provide proof of their identity, people have already had their personal information stolen, because the websites they provide their information to are not secure. People have the right to access information and topics that the government may find ugly or uncomfortable. People have the right to privacy, and to have their personal information protected. If censorship and age verification bills pass under this administration, it is the death of the Internet as we know it. It wouldn't improve anything. The language is overly broad and will absolutely be used to restrict access to information on LGBTQ and reproductive care, activism, and any other topic that our current regime would want to censor. These bills are not for the safety of anyone, they would only serve to censor our access to the Internet, while collecting our data and compromising personal information. Please think again and do not support these censorship bills. So much of everyday life has come to revolve around the Internet, and while it certainly is not perfect, taking a sledgehammer to its foundations does not benefit anyone in the long term. It only makes individual people more vulnerable.