Oppose H.R. 7757, the "KIDS Act"

I urge you to oppose the KIDS Act, H.R. 7757. While supporters insist the bill does not require age verification and have included language saying so, multiple parts of the package impose obligations that depend on websites taking steps to know who is under 18 years old. Most companies are likely to respond to this legal risk by collecting much more personal information from users, like drivers’ licenses or passports. Others will rely on age-estimation systems that guess users' ages based on user activity or facial scans and inevitably make mistakes. Either way, internet users across the board lose. The bill also pressures online services to create and enforce content moderation policies for broad categories of lawful speech, and creates new risks for encrypted and private communications. Instead of encouraging privacy and security online, this bill would push websites toward more monitoring, more restrictions, and more age gates. For internet users of all ages, the KIDS Act threatens our privacy and freedom online. It’s a step towards an internet where we’re forced to prove our age before we read, post, or communicate online. The bill encourages broader monitoring of online activity, creates pressure to restrict lawful speech, and raises concerns for encrypted and private communications. Congress can’t protect young people with more surveillance, more age checks, and more barriers to accessing and communicating online. Privacy laws that protect all Americans would serve us much better than this proposal. Please vote against the KIDS Act.