The Kids Online Safety Act Is a Trojan Horse for Mass Surveillance
The War on Internet Privacy Disguised as “Protecting Kids”
They’re at it again – like a bad sequel to a movie nobody asked for, the Kids Online Safety Act (S.1748) has clawed its way back into Congress.
They’re calling it a “child safety” bill, but if you peek under the mask, it’s just another privacy-shredding, freedom-stomping piece of legislation that aims to turn the internet into a government-moderated daycare…for adults.
So what is this legislative turd wrapped in a sparkly “think of the children” bow?
Act 1: Same KOSA Script, New Fearmongering
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), introduced (again) by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal, claims to shield children from “harmful content” online.
Sounds noble, right? Who wouldn’t want to protect kids from the brain-melting horrors of TikTok rabbit holes and late-night Discord servers?
But that’s just the bait.
KOSA won’t make kids more safe. Instead, it’ll put youth in danger by preventing them from accessing resources they need.
The hook is buried deep in vague language, emotionally manipulative talking points, and just enough moral panic to get bipartisan support. That’s exactly how this thing passed the Senate last year before fizzling out in the House.
Now it’s back for round four with almost no real changes. It’s like watching Congress speedrun censorship with every new draft.
"Think of the Children!" - Emotional Blackmail as Policy
Supporters are parading around suicide stats, social media horror stories, and “protect the youth” talking points like they’re auditioning for a Lifetime Original Series.
And yeah – real talk – kids do face dangers online. But those dangers are already being addressed by parents, platforms, content filters, and laws that actually exist.
We’ve got:
ESRB ratings
Parental control software
Built-in device restrictions from Apple, Google, Microsoft, and more
Community moderation tools
COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), which has been around since 1998
And now, in 2025, most kids know more about online safety than their parents. So why is Congress acting like it’s still the AOL era and we need their help?
Simple. They’re not just thinking of the children. They’re thinking of control.
Act 2: Strip Search for the Internet Age
Here’s the rub: KOSA would require platforms to identify who is and isn’t a minor, then “protect” them from content deemed harmful. But to do that, they’d need to know who you are.
Which means:
No more anonymity online
No more account-less browsing
No more burner accounts or untrackable digital footprints
Everything tied to a verified ID, because how else would a site distinguish a 17-year-old from a 37-year-old?
They just pushed a similar version of this bill through in the U.K., so you can get a glimpse into the future in Smash JT’s video below:
And once companies collect that kind of data, you better believe the government will come sniffing around. That’s not child protection. That’s surveillance infrastructure. And it’ll affect everyone, not just kids.
Think TSA, but for your Reddit comments.
Content Moderation on Steroids
Here’s where it gets scarier: under KOSA, platforms have a “duty of care” to prevent minors from being exposed to “harmful content.”
What counts as harmful? Well, that’s the trillion-dollar question. Because the bill doesn’t define it clearly. It also doesn’t limit it.
So what do platforms do? They go full nuke. Anything remotely “controversial” gets shadowbanned or pulled entirely. Adult-themed content? Political debate? Mental health forums? Kiss them goodbye. Why risk a lawsuit?
This is what’s called chilling effect legislation – where platforms censor everyone just in case someone might get upset. All under the comforting umbrella of “child safety.”
We Already Have Tools. You Don’t Need This.
Parents already have the power to limit their kids’ digital exposure. Don’t want them on social media? Disable it on the router. Don’t want them playing mature games? Set age ratings on their Xbox. Don’t want them watching anime with waifus? Well… you’re on your own there.
The point is, the tools exist.
Image: We Already Have Parental Controls | Shown Examples: Google, Apple, Windows
This bill isn’t filling a gap. It’s exploiting emotion to expand government authority into the private sector and your personal internet usage. It’s legislative overkill. Like trying to kill a mosquito with a missile launcher, then pointing that launcher at the whole neighborhood.
The Slippery Slide to a Social Credit System
Let’s not kid ourselves. Once you open the door to identity verification online, you’re halfway to a social credit system.
Think it’s paranoid? China didn’t roll theirs out overnight either.
– First, they start tracking who’s online.
– Then they analyze what you browse, say, post, and buy.
– Then suddenly, your Uber account gets frozen because of “inappropriate behavior” online.
– Your credit score drops because you criticized a senator.
– Your job application gets ghosted because an algorithm flagged your Reddit post from 2016.
This bill builds the foundation for all of that.
Not because it’s designed for it, but because it enables it. And we all know how mission creep works when it comes to federal powers.
The Supporters of KOSA Are Gaslighting You
Supporters of KOSA claim it won’t force platforms to verify ages or censor content. They swear it’s just about protecting children and giving parents “more tools.”
Which is just sooo cute.
In winning the AI race—absolutely necessary—individual privacy & data protection ought to be a priority, not an afterthought. My bill with Senator Hawley aims to keep consumer information safe from becoming roadkill in that race. https://t.co/DhuhrtbPge
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) July 27, 2025
Because we already have those tools. Critics from the EFF, ACLU, R Street, Mozilla, and dozens of civil liberties groups are all waving red flags.
Even revised versions of the bill still give federal and state attorney generals enormous leeway to demand action against content they don’t like. That’s not “freedom-protecting.”
That’s soft authoritarianism.
This Bill Won’t Die Because Control Is Addictive
Every year, this bill comes back like the villain in a slasher film. It’s gone through tweaks and edits, but the goal remains the same. Control what you see, track what you do, and tell you it’s for your own good.
And it gets bipartisan support every time. Because privacy invasion isn’t just a Democrat or Republican problem.
It’s a government problem.
They want your data. They want your identity. And they want to make sure you can’t exist online without their permission.
Fight Back on KOSA While You Still Can
Here’s the deal: once a system like this is in place, it’s nearly impossible to dismantle. You can’t just delete total internet surveillance once it becomes standard practice.
So now’s the time to act.
- Sign the petition to stop S.1748: https://chng.it/WXYNsTskv6
- Contact your local representatives. Tell them KOSA is not acceptable.
- Share articles and videos, talk to your friends, post on every damn platform before they start requiring DNA swabs to log in.
This isn’t just about kids. This is about everyone. If you think the internet is bad now, just wait until it’s regulated like cable TV with ID checks and a federal blacklist.
Hard pass.
Don't Roll Over and Let it Happen Like They Want You to
KOSA is the legislative equivalent of wrapping a surveillance camera in a teddy bear and telling you it’s for safety.
Don’t fall for it.
If we allow this bill to pass, we won’t be “protecting children.” We’ll be nuking the entire internet experience for everyone, just so politicians can win a few approval points and install a few more spyware backdoors.
We don’t need more government oversight. We need more parental oversight. The internet isn’t the problem – lazy policy and power-hungry legislators are.
So let’s call it what it is: a weaponized guilt trip with Orwellian ambitions.
And it deserves to be shredded, torched, and buried in the same digital graveyard as Internet Explorer and Google+.
This was a commentary article based on publicly available information and personal opinion. Readers are encouraged to form their own conclusions based on the sources cited.
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Robert W
July 28, 2025
Seriously though? Why do they think this is ok?
Ayefkay
July 28, 2025
Hey Robert, thanks for stopping by!
In my opinion, they won’t stop until this gets pushed through and then they’ll use it slowly to whittle away our privacy. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
NO THANK YOU
July 28, 2025
WTF
Ayefkay
July 29, 2025
Hey no thank you, thanks for stopping by and I agree – wtf indeed!
Jackie
July 28, 2025
ok not gonna lie. i only read the highlights of this cause it was pretty long, but it sounds pretty messed up
Ayefkay
July 29, 2025
Lol yea sorry, I tend to make my posts novels. I don’t start off thinking it’s going to be like that, but then I keep adding and adding and BAM – novel.
Thanks for stopping by Jackie and glad you liked it.
ANGRY AF
July 30, 2025
PEOPLE NEED TO BE LOUDER ABOUT THIS
Ayefkay
August 2, 2025
Hey Angry, sorry for the late reply but I 100% agree and I’m happy that more people are talking about it. Thanks for stopping by!