The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced several online safety bills, including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA). The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for government transparency and educates the public about the effects of excessive taxation and spending, voiced strong concerns about these measures.
David McGarry, Research Director at TPA, criticized the core approach of ASAA. “At the heart of the now-advanced ASAA is a very dangerous notion. While touted as a ‘safety’ measure, age verification—at any level of the tech stack—is deeply dangerous to Americans’ online privacy and the First Amendment. Handing over sensitive personal information should not be a precondition to being able to speak freely and access constitutionally protected speech online. Experience has shown that neither large tech platforms nor third-party verification services are immune to hacks, data breaches, and other incidents that put the data of users of all ages at risk. The government should not force Americans to place their data in treasure troves for hackers.”
McGarry further stated, “Courts have been clear: mandated age verification imposes unconstitutional burdens on free speech. To truly protect children, Congress should focus on empowering state and federal law enforcement officers to arrest online predators and get them off the digital streets—not pushing for unlawful policies that would harm kids. Age verification takes not a single criminal off the digital streets.”
Addressing KOSA’s advancement alongside other bills, McGarry said, “KOSA, which also advanced today as a part of an overly broad package of bills, has failed to gain necessary traction over multiple Congresses, and for good reason. Although its ‘duty of care’ has been shrunk, the bill still contains unworkable provisions that will not protect children. It has proven a failed concept, and the House should not allow it to advance any further on the floor.”
He concluded with his overall assessment: “The legislation advanced today imperils the digital security of millions of Americans and absolutely cannot be reconciled with the law. ASAA and KOSA must be rejected.”
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation was founded in 2011. Its president is David Williams.
