Parents of trans youth rally against controversial kids online safety bill | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The letter represents the latest move in an ongoing campaign by civil society groups against the Kids Online Safety Act.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/kids-online-safety-act-parents\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Parents of trans youth rally against controversial kids online safety bill\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The letter represents the latest move in an ongoing campaign by civil society groups against the Kids Online Safety Act.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/kids-online-safety-act-parents\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-12T10:30:00+00:00\"> <meta 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readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.322222222222\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"30.493670886076\">\n<p> The letter represents the latest move in an ongoing campaign by civil society groups against the Kids Online Safety Act. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill-1.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill-1.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill-1.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, 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1012px\"><figcaption> Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., left, initially introduced the Kids Online Safety Act last year. (Photo by Samuel Corum\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"42.044816138917\"><body readability=\"84.555297757154\"><\/p>\n<p>A group of more than one hundred parents of trans and gender expansive children are urging members of Congress to oppose the Kids Online Safety Act, arguing that efforts to protect minors online could backfire and be weaponized against LGBTQ communities.<\/p>\n<p>In a letter sent Tuesday that was organized by the internet rights group Fight for the Future, the signatories say they share the concerns of the bill\u2019s supporters that Big Tech is harming children but argue that their kids would be better served by more robust privacy, anti-trust and transparency measures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur kids have also been harmed by these companies\u2019 greed: their addictive design, their intrusive surveillance, their failure to address online hate, bullying, and abuse,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transparentsletter.com\/\">the letter states<\/a>. \u201cBut legislation like KOSA would make our kids less safe, not more safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The letter represents the latest step in <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/kids-online-safety-act-senate-privacy\/\">an ongoing campaign<\/a> by civil society groups against the bill, which was advanced by the Senate Commerce Committee in July. Both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and President Joe Biden have said they support passing the bill into law.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Kids Online Safety Act, introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., would place a duty of care on platforms to prevent promoting <strong>content<\/strong> to users under 17 content that includes harmful behaviors such as eating disorders and suicide. The bill <strong>provides a carve-out<\/strong> for support services such as suicide help hotlines, schools and educational software. <\/p>\n<p>Critics say the bill would make the internet less safe for children by censoring content that could help them and by giving parents tools to surveil children in unsafe home environments. Additionally, the bill\u2019s critics argue that it could be politicized by state attorneys general, whom the bill gives power to enforce the duty of care. This could result in content about LGBTQ matters and reproductive health being further restricted in states where that information is already being censored in schools. <\/p>\n<p>The letter follows the recent surfacing of <a href=\"http:\/\/nbcnews.com\/nbc-out\/out-politics-and-policy\/senator-appears-suggest-bipartisan-bill-will-censor-transgender-conten-rcna103479\">a March interview with Blackburn<\/a>, one of the bill\u2019s co-sponsors, in which she tells the conservative Family Policy Alliance that her top priority is \u201cprotecting minor children from the transgender in this culture and that influence.\u201d She then discusses how KOSA could be used to place responsibility for care on platforms \u201cwhere children are being indoctrinated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blackburn\u2019s legislative director Jamie Susskind <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ButMostlyJamie\/status\/1698505755471556904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1698505755471556904%7Ctwgr%5Ef9658271762bd7e4091d9fd3ce8c40fdb5e98b25%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lgbtqnation.com%2F2023%2F09%2Fdid-this-senator-just-admit-her-internet-safety-act-could-ban-kids-from-accessing-trans-content%2F\">responded in a post on X<\/a> saying the video was taken out of context and that \u201cKOSA will not \u2014 nor was it designed to \u2014 target or censor any individual or community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, some supporters of the bill have embraced its potential as a tool to limit access to information about gender and sexual expression. The Heritage Foundation in May <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Heritage\/status\/1660111875818790913\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expressed support<\/a> for using the bill to limit kids\u2019 access to \u201csexual and transgender content.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>KOSA has garnered the support of a number of children\u2019s safety groups including FairPlay, Design it For Us, and Common Sense Media, some of whom have expressed disapproval of Blackburn\u2019s rhetoric.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are extremely disappointed in Senator Blackburn and condemn her transphobic and hurtful remarks. It is unfortunate that her personal beliefs have muddied the discussion on the Kids Online Safety Act \u2013 legislation that will protect young people from the real online harms we face,\u201d the group Design it For Us wrote in a statement last week.<\/p>\n<p>KOSA\u2019s passage is far from a done deal. During the July markup, Senate Commerce Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., both cited ongoing concerns from LGBTQ groups about the bill in suggesting that changes might be needed. The bill does not have a companion in the House, where some members have already expressed opposition.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Technology<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/main> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--bottom \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"interstitial\" class=\"welcome__container\"> <button id=\"close-modal-1\" class=\"welcome__clickable_area\"><\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"welcome__ad_wrapper\">\n<p> <button id=\"close-modal-3\" class=\"welcome__continue-button\">Continue to CyberScoop<\/button> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <\/body> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/kids-online-safety-act-parents\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents of trans youth rally against controversial kids online safety<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[674,268,1],"tags":[677,274,325],"class_list":["post-1696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids-online-safety-act","category-privacy","category-uncategorized","tag-kids-online-safety-act","tag-privacy","tag-uncategorized"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/kids-online-safety-act\/\" rel=\"category tag\">kids online safety act<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/privacy\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Privacy<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","tag_info":"Uncategorized","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1696\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":1696,"date":"2023-09-12T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=76972"},"modified":"2023-09-12T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T10:30:00","slug":"parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2023\/09\/12\/parents-of-trans-youth-rally-against-controversial-kids-online-safety-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents of trans youth rally against controversial kids online safety bill"},"content":{"rendered":"