I'm writing as your constituent about the Kids Online Safety Act and similar "internet safety" legislation currently moving through Congress.
Here's what concerns me most: these bills frame themselves as holding Big Tech accountable. Yet the biggest supporters of this legislation are the tech companies themselves. Meta, Google, and others have lobbied heavily for KOSA-style measures.
If these laws were truly about protecting kids, wouldn't we expect skepticism from the industries being regulated? Instead, the loudest voices backing age verification mandates are the same platforms facing scrutiny. That doesn't track.
Age verification requires collecting sensitive data—government IDs, biometric information, browsing histories. Privacy organizations across the spectrum warn this builds surveillance infrastructure that creates massive breach risks. And who holds that data? We've seen enough security failures to know centralized databases become targets.
The bill's defenders say safeguards exist. But once this infrastructure exists, the incentives shift. What starts as "age verification for minors" becomes normalized identity tracking for everyone. That's how mission creep works.
If you believe in genuine internet safety, there are better paths: algorithmic transparency, competition policies, real consent requirements. These address harms without building a surveillance state.
Let me be clear: I take these positions seriously. If you co-sponsor or vote for KOSA or similar age verification mandates, I won't be supporting you in future elections. I'm not trying to threaten—I'm telling you exactly where I stand so you can factor this into your decision.
This isn't abstract policy for me. It's about whether ordinary citizens can use digital services without proving their identity to every website they visit. I'd appreciate hearing your position.
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