Why "safety laws" are harmful (and how to proceed)

Auri | December 11, 2025
notice

This article should be seen and read as opinion. I am not a lawyer. This should be read from an American standpoint as thats where I'm located and am most knowledgeable about in regards to laws/changes.

KOSA and similar laws have been introduced to the US (and everywhere else) and I wanted to make a simple thing to show off stuff about it.

Article

Laws designed to "protect" children have historically been to take away rights or privacy from citizens and many advocates agree that a KOSA-like law would and does destroy the free internet. The internet is designed to be for the people, by the people. Restricting who can access what behind an ID system is harmful to everyone, not just kids. (Leventoff, 2024)

"Safety" laws will be used to censor content that governments don't like; this includes blocking access to information about abortion, LGBT rights, protests, and information they don't like similarly to how historical facts were removed from the Smithsonian (Superville, 2025). With how states prevent the freedom of choice for queer people to live how they want, I don't doubt that laws like this will be used to censor. (See Ohio H.B 190, Ohio H.B 8, Ohio H.B 68)

These laws will also make websites collect IDs which makes identity fraud really easy as these companies are basically pots of personally identifying information (PII) for hackers.

Opposing censorship and anti-privacy laws disguised as "protecting the kids" is not protecting pedophiles and predators (just wanted to say this because this is the argument of every pro-censorship/anti-privacy lawmaker).

Recommendations

I don't want to provide my ID, what should I do? Just don't provide it! You can always just use a website that doesn't require it, or use a VPN to look like you're somewhere that doesn't require it.

Recommended VPNs

- Mullvad VPN (https://mullvad.net/) | (Check out https://media.mullvad.net/andthen/long/Mullvad_AND_THEN_Longform_ProRes422_Webmix_4K_h264.mp4 too, it's really good)

- Proton VPN (https://proton.me/vpn)

- Private Internet Access/PIA (https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/) | I have not personally used this VPN but I've heard good things about them

Recommended email services (These can help you stay private)

- Tuta (https://tuta.com/secure-email)

- Proton Mail (https://proton.me/mail)

Sources

Darlene Superville (2025), Associated Press https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-executive-order-to-force-changes-at-smithsonian-institution-targeting-funding-for-programs-with-improper-ideology

Jenna Lentoff (2024), ACLU https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-slams-senate-passage-of-kids-online-safety-act-urges-house-to-protect-free-speech

Newman, Williams (2025), The Ohio Legislature https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb190/00_IN/pdf/