The article discusses ongoing concerns regarding proposed federal and state legislation aimed at protecting young people online, particularly from California. It highlights the risks involved in bills that infringe on First Amendment rights and employ problematic age verification technologies. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) outlines these issues, asserting that many current legislative proposals are ineffective and can lead to further dangers for youth. Despite lawmakers' intentions, responses from young people indicate that social media can serve as a safe haven, calling for a more informed approach to online safety that respects their needs and rights.
We've covered a lot of federal and state proposals that badly miss the mark when attempting to grapple with protecting young people's safety online.
Our letter outlines the legal, technical, and policy problems with proposed "solutions" including age verification mandates, age gating, mandatory parental controls.
We also note that the current approach completely ignores what we've heard from thousands of young people: the online platforms and communities they frequent can be among the safest spaces for them.
There are better paths that don't hurt young people's First Amendment rights.
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