Do you have five minutes to help us tell Congress not to ruin encryption, privacy, and free speech? We’ve made it clear that these
#BadInternetBills are terrible ideas, but Congress is now considering packaging them together—possibly into must-pass legislation.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/you-can-help-stop-these-bad-internet-bills
You Can Help Stop These Bad Internet Bills
Red alert! For the last six months, EFF, our supporters, and dozens of other groups have been sounding the alarm about several #BadInternetBills that have been put forward in Congress. We’ve made it clear that these bills are terrible ideas, but Congress is now considering packaging them together—possibly into must-pass legislation.
The Kids Online Safety Act (#KOSA) would increase surveillance and restrict access to information under the guise of protecting children online.
https://act.eff.org/action/tell-congress-kosa-will-censor-the-internet-but-won-t-help-kids
Tell the House: KOSA Will Censor the Internet But Won't Help Kids
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would censor the internet and would make government officials the arbiters of what young people can see online. It will likely lead to age verification, handing more power, and private data, to third-party identity verification companies like Clear or ID.me.
The government should not have the power to decide what topics are "safe" online for young people, and to force services to remove and block access to anything that might be considered unsafe for children. This isn’t safety—it’s censorship.
The STOP CSAM Act would put security and free speech at risk by potentially making it a crime to offer encryption.
https://act.eff.org/action/tell-congress-don-t-outlaw-encrypted-applications
Tell Congress: Don't Outlaw Encrypted Applications
It shouldn
The RESTRICT Act would set the stage for a restriction on the use of TikTok, but could also criminalize common practices like using a VPN or side-loading to install a prohibited app.
https://act.eff.org/action/stop-the-restrict-act-and-pass-real-privacy-legislation
Stop the Restrict Act and Pass Real Privacy Legislation
Under the guise of curbing data collection by foreign governments, the RESTRICT Act (Senate Bill 686) would set the stage for a restriction on the use of TikTok, but not do nearly enough to truly protect our private information. Due to undefined mitigation measures coupled with a vague enforcement provision, the bill could also criminalize common practices like using a VPN or side-loading to install a prohibited app.
The EARN IT Act would likely mandate scanning of messages and other files similar to the plan that Apple wisely walked away from last year.
https://act.eff.org/action/the-earn-it-act-is-back-seeking-to-scan-us-all/
The “Earn It” Act is Back, Seeking To Scan Us All
We all have the right to have private conversations. They’re vital for free and informed self-government. When we want to have private conversations online, encryption makes it possible. Yet Congress is debating, for a third time, the EARN IT Act (S. 1207)—a bill that would threaten encryption, and instead seek to impose universal scanning of our messages, photos, and files.
The EARN IT Act invites all 50 states to regulate internet services, hoping state legislatures will follow a set of “best practices” set by a federal commission stacked with law enforcement agencies. The bill’s supporters want to wipe true end-to-end encryption from the internet, and replace it with scanning software that puts us all in a permanent criminal lineup.
Electronic Frontier Foundation