Hello, I'm Hoping By Making This Post I Might Be Able To Help Quell The Fears Of Others Like It Helped

Hello, i'm hoping by making this post i might be able to help quell the fears of others like it helped quell mine.

The ACLU, aka American Civil Liberties Union, are a nonprofit human rights organization that is against KOSA. I will admit i don't know much about them myself but according to my mom, they are very powerful people and the chance they'll let a bill like this pass is incredibly slim.

They've already spoken out against it, as have many, many others who likely have similar if not equal power, not to mention the global outcry against this bill.

Please hold out hope. I'm still scared, but things aren't all bleak.

URGENT: Congress about to pass a mass censorship and surveillance bill under the guise of "protecting children"

May 13 2023

The Senate has been in a "do something!" mode regarding children's online safety. They're using this as an excuse to push for widespread internet censorship and surveillance. The EARN IT Act, has a slimmer chance of passing with widespread opposition and some senators saying they won't vote for it. TLDR;The real threat is actually KOSA (s.1409), the Kid's Online Safety Act, which will mass censor and surveill the entire internet by giving all 50 state attorney generals the power to remove content that is "harmful" for kids, and force you to upload your govt ID online to access the internet. I'll explain how it works below the action items but it's absolutely urgent that anyone who likes having a free and open internet fights back. It's all hands on deck, because this has so much public support it's insane:

HOW TO FIGHT KOSA

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES & THE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

This is a link to the Senate Commerce Committee phone numbers and a call script to read off of. (202) 224-3121 connects you to the congressional hotline

Opposition is getting drowned, and these upcoming weeks will be heavy for lobbying and they're using young people to do it. We NEED to show these senators that young people are actually opposed to this and don't want it.

2. Sign these petitions

Open Letter Against KOSA

Petition 1

Petition 2

Petition 3

Petition 4

Resistbot: Text PHJDYH to 50409

3. Spread the word.

The opposition is getting absolutely drowned online. Dove has nearly 100k signatures to push for KOSA. Influencers on tiktok are pushing for this without ever having read the bill. Fucking Lizzo is sponsoring it. If you have twitter, reddit, tiktok, are in any community, SPREAD THE WORD, PLEASE.

Here is a linktree with all the above petitions for easy shargin: Link to linktree

HOW KOSA WORKS

First, KOSA pressures platforms to install filters that would wipe the net of anything deemed “inappropriate” for minors. This means instructing platforms to censor. We saw how these filters impacted websites firsthand with tumblr in 2018, with not only blocking all adult content but also sfw queer content such as suicide hotlines, art archives, wiping out entire blogs because they had queer fandom related posts, etc. Places that already use content filters have restricted important information about suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ support groups. KOSA would spread this kind of censorship to every corner of the internet. And who gets to decide what is and isn't harmful for minors? Oh don't worry, just every single state attorney general and the FTC, which is appointed by the president. You know, the same attorney generals that just banned gender-affirming healthcare under the guise that it "ruins mental health" of minors. This is why the Heritage Foundation was one of the first to sponsor the bill because they can use it to censor trans content, and Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is it's co-author.

Second, KOSA would ramp up the online surveillance of all internet users by forcing websites to use age verification and parental monitoring tools. Yup, that's right. Now every single person who wants to access the internet has to upload their govt ID online to third party apps that get hacked all the time. You queer in a red state? You undocumented? You an activist? Have fun getting all your online activity and metadata attached to your govt ID.  

Over 90+ human and LGBT rights groups agree that KOSA is dangerous and updates to the 2023 version won’t and can’t address the big problems with the bill. This bill has MASSIVE bipartisan support, and the authors Blumenthal and Blackburn (yes, that Blumenthal that's pushing the EARN IT Act, and who also sponsored the RESTRICT Act and SOPA/PIPA if you remember) are using the tragedy of mothers who lost their kids to online harassment and young adults who've been traumatized online to lobby for it, and got Dove the company to use a bunch of influencers to push for this under the guise it prevents eating disorders...I wish I was lying. There are already 30 co-sponsors.

It is all hands on deck. I'm dead serious when I say if this bill is passed it is the beginning if not end of the open and free internet.

Omnomnom

At panera bread an loving it damn little sisters and there awesome restaurant finding skills

‼️Call/Write your Senators to STOP BILL S.1409 (KOSA)‼️

This is not my normal content but the word needs to spread

‼️KOSA IS A MASSIVE ONLINE CENSORSHIP BILL‼️

This bill is proposed by, Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn, who is very vocal about being against LGBT ppl!

It will force everyone online who wants to use a website to UPLOAD THEIR GOVERNMENT ID AND AGE TO THE PUBLIC!

Yes they did change the language of the bill but the sentiment is still the same. It will be used for censorship no matter what they say.

THIS BILL COULD PASS THE SENATE AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK AND THEN THE HOUSE THE SAME DAY

Omarsbigsister on TikTok is going into more detail.

This is so serious and will change the internet as we know it. People need to spread the word and call/write their senators.

Omarsbigsister on TikTok has videos and recourses on their page to help.

Don't know what this does just wanted to save this cause it is to cute to lose

Short RoadRat HighSchool AU Prompt

Mako inhaled slowly trying – and failing – to calm his jittery nerves. He flexed his hands where they hug by his side before clenching them again hard enough that he was sure his knuckles were white. He sighed heavily, knowing that lurking behind the tall library bookshelf any longer wasn’t going to magically give him the courage he was so desperately searching for. He shoved his hands into the loose pockets of his charcoal hoodie, a small pig cartoon plastered on the front, before he forced himself to turn the corner of the dark wooden shelf and head towards his unsuspecting target. 

Jamieson Fawkes, was sat at one of the large, round tables that were spread out among the library.  The blonde was alone, though the library was usually abandoned this late after school had already ended; most people were eager to get home and tried not to linger any longer than necessary. Not Jamie, whose eyes were glued to his phone, fingers flying across the screen and leg jiggling. Though Mako knew that if it wasn’t his leg it would be something else, Jamie was never still, he was always moving. He reminded Mako of a excited little flame, flickering too and fro and seemingly never static for more than a few moments before beginning it’s dance again. 

Mako’s steps faltered before he growled lowly to himself and forced himself to keep walking, heading straight towards the younger, unaware boy. Mako halted awkwardly in front of the table, but Jamie didn’t even seem to notice the hulking figure of the larger teen at first. Mako shifted uneasily before clearing his throat, Jamie still didn’t respond fingers never pausing for a moment. Mako was at a loss for a moment, his already faltering confidence chipping away with each moment and before he could stop himself he sighed heavily enough that the air forced from his lungs washed over Jamie, whose head shot up in surprise. Amber eyes wide with shock and something akin to wonder as he took in the figure in front of him, but only for a moment before they crinkled happily and a large, toothy grin spread across the blondes face. 

“Mako! I did’n even notice ya there!” Jamie crowed gleefully, his phone screen going dark as he laid it down on the table. His fingers moved from the phone screen to the table and began to unconsciously tap a senseless pattern. His good leg jiggling a tad higher than before. “What’cha need hoggy?” Jamie questioned with a curious tilt of his head. 

“Umm, well I needed to talk to you about…something.” Mako mumbled, chewing on his lip with every pause and unable to stop himself from turning his head away from Jamie. “I just wanted to ask you, I know we haven’t like….known each other that long and maybe that’s weird, maybe this is weird for me to suddenly ask but I guess…did you….no, do you….”He was fairly sure he was going to start hyperventilating at any moment, which meant he’d have to pull out his inhaler which he wasn’t sure he was ready to show Jamie it wasn’t good for the image he’d built up. The tough, unfriendly and unapproachable image that Jamie had completely and blindly stumbled right through only a few weeks back. Which is what had brought them to this situation in this first place. 

The situation being Mako trying – and spectacularly failing – at asking Jamie out. Mako roughly rubbed his hand over his slightly stubble chin as he finally choked out what he’d meant from the very beginning. 

“Do you wanna go out?” He grumbled, voice muffled by his hand. “…..like with me?” Silence reined supreme for long, tortuously long, moments. Mako could already feel the familiar tightening sensation of his stomach that would quickly devolve into panic. Mako couldn’t help but turn back to face Jamie who was staring up at Mako with a blank expression, Mako felt his heart plummet. He was such a fucking idiot, why had he thought this was a good idea and now he’d ruined one of the few friendship’s he actually cared about. 

His expression must have given away his complete and utter heartbreak because the blonde teens bushy eyebrows instantly furrowed in worry and his whole face scrunched up in concern and he flailed wildly as he tried to stand up. 

“Oh god! Oh god please don’t be upset!” Jamie cried, standing up so quickly that he sent his chair tumbling backwards and he nearly stumbled face first into Mako. Mako felt his sadness begin to shift into anger, he could do anger, anger was familiar territory. He growled low in his throat his mouth curling into a snarl. Of course he was gonna be fucking upset! What did Jamie expect? That Mako would just brush it off without a problem? What a load of shit. Mako spun on his heel ready to storm off, possibly to find something – maybe even someone – to punch.  

“WAIT!” Jamie’s shout was so unexpected and so were the slender fingers clutching his bicep that Mako found himself stopping. Jamie was instantly in front of him, hands still gripping Mako’s arms as if he’d run off if Jamie wasn’t keeping him there. Jamie’s whole face was screwed up in a desperate expression that Mako thought didn’t really suit the younger boy. “Please, just hang on a tic.” Jamie pleaded. Mako huffed grumpily before nodding, crossing his thick arms across his even thicker chest. Jamie chewed his bottom lip, watching Mako with distrust as if thinking the moment he turned his back the larger boy would make a break for it. Mako simply raised an unimpressed eyebrow and jerked his head in a motion that clearly read, “Get the fuck on with it.” 

Jamie scuttled over to where he’d been sitting, he dropped to a crouch and pulled out his ratty little bag that had been tucked underneath the table. The blonde teen dug around inside his bag, face a mask of concentration and Mako could even see a hint of Jamie’s pink tongue sticking out in a comical expression of indentured focus. 

“Aha! Found ya, ya little fucks!” Jamie barked happily pulling out a pair of weird curbed little gadgets that were badly painted a truly obnoxious shade of yellow. Mako’s head twisted in confusion and he found himself fully turning to face the blonde, anger momentarily forgotten as Jamie began to shove the small contraptions into his ears. He fiddled with them for a few moments before turning to face Mako with a huge grin nearly splitting his face. “Okay,” Jamie grinned, “now I can actually hear ya!” 

Mako’s jaw dropped. It felt as though his brain were buffering or possibly that he was on one of those hidden camera shows and he was just waiting for someone to jump out and yell, “SURPRISE BITCH!” except it didn’t, instead he just stared down at Jamie was rising from his crouched position still fucking grinning. 

“Jamie are you deaf?” Mako asked incredulously. Jamie’s lips puckered in thought. 

“Yes! Wait, no sorta. Mostly?” Jamie babbled and Mako laughed breathlessly at the absurdity of the situation. 

“Jamie.” He said, his voice firm and slightly louder than Jamie’s own soft ramblings, which instantly quieted the blonde who looked up at him expectantly. 

“Do’you like ice cream?” Mako asked with a small smirk playing on his full lips. Jamie’s eyes practically sparkled and he smiled fully enough to show off his sharp canine teeth. 

“Who the fuck doesn’t like ice cream?” He squealed happily, moving to clutch Mako’s large arm against his slender chest. Mako grunted in agreement pulling Jamie closer to plant a wet kiss against the crown of his head. 

He didn’t even know what he’d been worried about. 

Requests are open. 

Hey if you're are reading this and you're in the us, please call your reps and tell them not to support KOSA because that bill will not do what it advertises and instead will make life on the internet much more dire.

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STOP THE KOSA