Oppose H.R. 8250 – Protect Digital Privacy and Innovation

I urge you to oppose H.R. 8250, the Parents Decide Act, which would mandate government-controlled age verification on every operating system in America—a dangerous overreach that threatens privacy, innovation, and computing freedom. This bill requires all OS providers to verify user ages and expose that data through APIs, creating a government-mandated surveillance infrastructure disguised as child protection. The consequences are severe: Privacy and Surveillance Concerns: The legislation establishes a tracking system affecting all Americans, not just children. Our age verification data becomes another point vulnerable to government abuse and corporate exploitation, fundamentally altering the relationship between citizens and their devices. Harm to Open-Source Software: Small Linux distributions and open-source operating systems cannot afford the compliance infrastructure required by this bill. Developers face fines up to $7,500 per violation, threatening the free and open internet that enabled modern computing innovation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation rightfully warns this legislation strikes at "the foundation of the free and open internet." Ineffective Child Protection: The bill won't protect children. Tech-savvy teens already bypass restrictions using virtual machines and fake birthdates. Meanwhile, legitimate users lose access to information and services, with devices defaulting to restrictive "child-like" settings for anyone whose OS cannot provide age verification. Economic and Technical Burden: Manufacturers will incur massive compliance costs, resulting in higher device prices and fragmented operating systems. This creates barriers to technology access rather than safety. A False Solution: Child safety deserves thoughtful solutions—this isn't one. Age verification mandates at the OS level represent an unprecedented government intrusion into personal computing. Should it ever be brought to a vote, I urge you to vote against H.R. 8250 and support genuine child protection strategies that don't compromise privacy, innovation, or American computing freedom.