3 Huge Tech Companies Endorse Bill That Could Wipe Abortion Info From the Internet
The misleadingly-named Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) just got a boost from Silicon Valley.
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In the fall, Jezebel reported how a bipartisan bill ostensibly meant to protect children from harmful content online could be weaponized by Republican politicians to censor everything from LGBTQ+ content to sex ed info to abortion resources—and for all internet users, not just children. Nearly two dozen Democratic Senators have co-sponsored the bill—which is (misleadingly) named the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)—and, in the past week, three tech companies have come out in support of it.
KOSA would create a “duty of care” requiring social media apps and websites to “prevent and mitigate” harms to children, including by not recommending content that could cause anxiety and depression or could lead to “sexual exploitation and abuse.” That’s all well and good but a huge problem is that the bill would allow state Attorneys General to sue companies if they believe certain content is harmful to minors—meaning conservative AGs could weaponize the law to attack content they simply disagree with. In response, platforms likely would preemptively block content they think could get them sued; hence censorship for people of all ages.
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