While this bill is technically an alternative to the Kids Online Safety Act, it is a bad one. As we’ve said before, no one should have to hand over their driver’s license just to access free websites. Having to hand over that driver’s license to a government program doesn’t solve the problem. The world envisioned by the authors of this bill is one where everyone has less power to speak out and access information online, and we must oppose it.

A new bill sponsored by Sen. Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Britt (R-AL) would combine some of the worst elements of various social media bills aimed at “protecting the children” into a single law.

  • MaxHardwoodEnglish
    51·
    1 year ago

    The EFF is notoriously kind of an extremist organization when it comes to privacy and any sort of tracking of people; not in a bad way though I think.

    • chakan2@lemmy.worldEnglish
      101·
      1 year ago

      I wouldn’t call it extremist…it’s usually reasonable policy protecting people’s privacy. It’s only extreme because it would severely cut into big tech’s profits and the USs surveillance capacity.

      • MaxHardwoodEnglish
        81·
        1 year ago

        Probably more apt to call them absolutists than extremists.

        • The Nexus of Privacy@lemmy.sdf.orgOPEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          Within the privacy community, EFF’s viewed as pragmatists – far from absolutists or extremists. So I agree with @chakan2@[email protected], it only gets regarded as extreme because big tech and the surveillance-industrial complex have normalized not expecting privacy.