Steve Barnes

I shared this bill two weeks ago, and I'm staggered that no one else I've seen on Mastodon, or any other place online, has even mentioned it.

It does indeed look like the law would require every American child and adult, parent or not, to verify their age with a third party just to power up and use their own computer or phone in everyday fashion.

#AgeVerification #Apple #Microsoft #Google

May 8 at 7:26pmWeb
Show threadSteve BarnesMay 8

I've at least found a Change.org petition about it, signed it, and added a comment.

https://www.change.org/p/block-or-reform-the-forced-compliance-act-bill-h-r-8250-parents-decide-act

If you sign it or share it, please let me know. I'm still waiting for any detectable sign that anyone is even aware of this bill, or to show me I'm over-reacting or over-interpreting it somehow.

Sign the Petition

Block or reform the Forced Compliance Act - Bill H​.​R. 8250 (Parents Decide Act)

Change.org
Show threadSteve BarnesMay 8

Here's my original post with a link to the bill's text:

https://mastodon.social/@Starfia/116416287251680612

Show threadJigenMay 8
@Starfia The only place I've seen people worrying about this is in the open source AI community.
Show threadSteve BarnesMay 8
Thanks, Jigen. Did their concern seem specific to the business of that community, or are you just saying that's the only place you've found people who've taken notice?
Show threadJigenMay 8

@Starfia I'll just post examples.

My work has public-facing chatbots and they are not yet even considering these bills.

Show threadAlexander S. KunzMay 11

@Starfia Thanks for beating the drum!

I looked up H.R. 8250 and found a "Prognosis: 1% of being enacted" here:

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr8250

Early opposition won't hurt nevertheless!

Parents Decide Act (H.R. 8250)

To require operating system providers to verify the age of any user of an operating system, and for other purposes.

GovTrack.us
Show threadSteve BarnesMay 15

Thanks, Alex – I appreciate that source of reassurance.

Intuitively, this strikes me as unlikely to pass at the US federal level based simply on its merits. But I can't ignore the half-dozen US states that have recently enacted laws widely enforcing age verification or restricting online access (momentum backing federal law is historically built this way), and other regions – Australia, the UK, even Canada – who are, or are talking about, doing similarly (a more general trend of influence).

Show threadSteve BarnesMay 15

@alexskunz –

This particular bill strikes me as the biggest and most concerning one to date, but perhaps what I'm reacting to is the relative silence on Mastodon – though I think I'm following hundreds of developers, or at least nerds – about any of this.

Show threadSteve BarnesMay 15

@alexskunz –

I think I'm facing a moment of having to pause, blink, and ask: "Do people actually just not care about this? Or do they care, but unlike with issues like the implications of 'AI' where opinions fly like paper planes, they feel differently able or willing to say what they think? If so, why?"

Show threadAlexander S. KunzMay 16
@Starfia I guess it might also depend on how you share it and who picks it up. Maybe an @ mention to flag someone with good reach who cares about these issues would be helpful.
Show threadSteve BarnesMay 16
Sure, that sounds reasonable to certain ends.