Help tell the Senate: KOSA Will Censor the Internet But Won't Help Kids

what the actual fuck is going on? I don't understand. Why the fuck in the last 5 years has there been an almost weekly attack on the internet? WHAT THE FUCK.

As much as there are valid concerns to what sort of content kids are accessing on the internet, a government that is actively persecuting LGBTQ people and women seeking abortion cannot be trusted with IDs for every website and post on the internet.

So, please correct me if I'm missing something. IANAL. I went ahead and read parts of the bill:

KOSA

Nothing really jumps out as problematic for me. It’s preventing harmful content from being advertised to via social media to children, but not stopping kids from independently researching things.

**> (a) Prevention Of Harm To Minors.—A covered platform shall act in the best interests of a user that the platform knows or reasonably should know is a minor by taking reasonable measures in its design and operation of products and services to prevent and mitigate the following:

(1) Consistent with evidence-informed medical information, the following mental health disorders: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and suicidal behaviors.**

I think we can agree that evidence informed medical information to prevent these mental health issues is a positive thing.

>(2) Patterns of use that indicate or encourage addiction-like behaviors.

This could lead to a reduction in serotonin hacking apps that are worthless to the consumer, doomscrolling, etc.

>(3) Physical violence, online bullying, and harassment of the minor.

Good

>(4) Sexual exploitation and abuse.

The definition of sexual exploitation and abuse is probably the thing that has the LGBTQ community concerned. What is their definition?
Taking a detour, we can find what the definition is earlier in the bill:

_>(10) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE.—The term “sexual exploitation and abuse” means any of the following:

(A) Coercion and enticement, as described in section 2422 of title 18, United States Code._

Title 18 Section 2422
(a)Whoever knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, to engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
(b)Whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life.

Okay, so, grooming minors and encouraging them to come visit you, or to kidnap them and force them into prostitution.

>(B) Child sexual abuse material, as described in sections 2251, 2252, 2252A, and 2260 of title 18, United States Code.

Child pornography.

>(C) Trafficking for the production of images, as described in section 2251A of title 18, United States Code.

Distributing said pornography.

>(D) Sex trafficking of children, as described in section 1591 of title 18, United States Code.

Coercion, force and fraud for commercial sex acts with minors.

Feel free to review Title 18 here

(5) Promotion and marketing of narcotic drugs (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)), tobacco products, gambling, or alcohol.

Besides the obvious of not trying to advertise to kids to use vapes or drink boiled nyquil, this could lead to the end of lootboxes with the gambling provision.

(6) Predatory, unfair, or deceptive marketing practices, or other financial harms.

This can only be a good thing. No more helping John Wick by sharing your parents credit card number.

The bill continues:

(b) Limitation.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to require a covered platform to prevent or preclude—
(1) any minor from deliberately and independently searching for, or specifically requesting, content; or
(2) the covered platform or individuals on the platform from providing resources for the prevention or mitigation of suicidal behaviors, substance use, and other harms, including evidence-informed information and clinical resources.

This says to me that the social media platforms cannot actively advertise this stuff to people they deem minors, not that the content needs to be completely scrubbed from the web. So long as the subject matter isn't ending up on a 14 year old's FYP, they're good to go.

I ran out of characters so I had to delete like half my post. But yeah, TLDR the bill prevents advertising of harmful material, not a full on block of content.

Posted by a kid. Or a groomer.