KOSA is a bill that aims to protect children online but it would do so in harmful ways. First, it would pressure platforms to install content filters that would censor large amounts of content, including important suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ support resources. Content filters have a history of overblocking important information. Second, KOSA would ramp up online surveillance of all users by expanding age verification and parental monitoring tools. These tools are unnecessarily invasive and pose risks to young people trying to escape abuse. Over 90 rights groups agree that KOSA is dangerous and cannot be fixed through amendments. If you value a free and open internet, contact your lawmakers to reject KOSA.

    • Hot Saucerman@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Not trying to dog on other parents, but just like when I was growing up a lot of parents either didn’t know/didn’t care what their kids were watching on TV, and didn’t make a lot of effort to control it. Many parents now are sadly similar in not paying attention to their kids’ internet habits.

      You’re being a good parent. I don’t know why other people struggle with this idea. In my opinion, you should just be proud of yourself and disappointed in other parents who don’t take the same measures.

      I will say those other parents make it difficult, though. My sister had to drop a lot of her parental controls eventually because her kids would go to friends’ houses with unrestricted internet access, and you just can’t control that. Even if you are involved with what your kids watch at home, once they are out of your eyesight and with other people, they can get access. Anyway, denying them access was causing more fights between her and her kids than it was worth. They saw that other kids had unrestricted access, and they wanted that, too. On the plus side, they were already 14 by this time, but still, it became a huge headache because other parents didn’t care.

      Anyway once again, good on you, mate. Keep being a thoughtful and involved parent, we need more of y’all.

    • argv_minus_one@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Please tell me your kids have some other form of social interaction.

      I was bullied real bad in school, so if not for online access, I would have had basically no one to talk to besides my parents.