Despite widespread opposition from dozens of LGBTQ, civil liberties & human rights groups Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer intends to file cloture & move the dangerous & misguided Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to a floor vote in the Senate. Hundreds of parents of transgender youth have begged lawmakers to consider alternatives to KOSA. Fight for the Future Evan Greer stated, “This is not about protecting kids. This is about Senators getting to claim they’re protecting kids ahead of the election. It makes me sick to my stomach. Experts have repeatedly warned that KOSA would make kids less safe, rather than more safe. Lawmakers could have advanced strong privacy, antitrust & algorithmic justice legislation to actually address the harm of Big Tech & crack down on surveillance-driven business practices that harm young people & adults. Instead, they’re advancing what amounts to a blank check for censorship that can and will be used to suppress lifesaving online resources. LGBTQ youth have led the charge against KOSA & they’ve succeeded in forcing some important changes to text. But despite misleading claims from supporters, the changes to KOSA have not addressed the fatal flaws with the bill. Leader Schumer’s decision to put KOSA on the floor is deeply cynical. With vocal opposition from the chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, House leadership & even the youngest member of the House, Maxwell Frost, KOSA currently has no path to becoming law. The recent Supreme Court decision makes it clear even if it somehow did become law, it would be almost immediately overturned because it’s blatantly unconstitutional.
So Big Tech will continue getting away with murder, because Senate leadership are choosing to score political points rather than advance thoughtful legislation.
For shame.”
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