Rating: Transsupportive, Fight for the Future via Stop KOSA, September 20, 2023 (PDF archive) (HTML archive) (Take Action)

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Content Summary

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Reject online censorship. Tell lawmakers to oppose KOSA!

URGENT! Lawmakers have reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a dangerous censorship bill that would give the government unprecedented control over the internet.

KOSA won’t make kids more safe. Instead, it’ll put youth in danger by preventing them from accessing resources they need. Lawmakers concerned about online safety should reject KOSA and instead work to protect all internet users from abusive tech companies by passing a Federal data privacy law. 

Send a letter to your lawmakers now and tell them to reject KOSA!

Why is KOSA a bad bill?

KOSA uses two methods to “protect” kids, and both of them are awful. 

First, KOSA would pressure platforms to install filters that would wipe the net of anything deemed “inappropriate” for minors. This = instructing platforms to censor, plain and simple. Places that already use content filters have restricted important information about suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ support groups, and KOSA would spread this kind of censorship to every corner of the internet. It’s no surprise that anti-rights zealots are excited about KOSA: it would let them shut down websites that cover topics like race, gender, and sexuality.

Second, KOSA would ramp up the online surveillance of all internet users by expanding the use of age verification and parental monitoring tools. Not only are these tools needlessly invasive, they’re a massive safety risk for young people who could be trying to escape domestic violence and abuse. 

Dozens of LGBTQ+ and civil rights groups agree that KOSA is dangerous and updates to the 2023 version won’t and can’t address the big problems with the bill. If you believe in a free and open internet, send a message to your lawmakers right now and tell them to reject KOSA!

Call your lawmakers 

We’ll provide you with a suggestion of what to say and connect you directly with your lawmaker’s office.CALLYour number will only be used for this call and will never be shared with third parties. Privacy Policy

Here is the full list of organizations opposed to KOSA:

Access Now

American Civil Liberties Union

Black and Pink National

Center for Democracy & Technology

COLAGE

Defending Rights & Dissent

Don’t Delete Art

EducateUS: SIECUS In Action

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Equality Arizona

Equality California

Equality Michigan

Equality Texas

Fair Wisconsin

Fairness Campaign

Fight for the Future

Free Speech Coalition

Freedom Network USA

Indivisible Eastside

Indivisible Plus Washington

Internet Society

Kairos

Lexington Pride Center

LGBT Technology Partnership

Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

Media Justice

National Coalition Against Censorship

Open Technology Institute

OutNebraska

PDX Privacy

Presente.org

Reframe Health and Justice

Restore The Fourth

SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change

SWOP Behind Bars 

TAKE

TechFreedom

The 6:52 Project Foundation, Inc.

The Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center

Transgender Education Network of Texas

TransOhio

University of Michigan Dearborn – Muslim Student Association 

URGE

WA People’s Privacy

Woodhull Freedom Foundation

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