Protecting Kids Online

Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

There’s a lot of nasty stuff online – things we would prefer our kids not see, at least not until they’re mature enough to handle it. Our elected representatives have proposed various regulations to try to protect kids online, and while this is obviously a laudable goal, the devil is always in the details. Many of the proposed solutions have serious negative consequences for both kids and adults, chilling free speech and blocking useful content. I’ll discuss the latest iteration of these proposed solutions in the US called the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) as well as the similar Online Safety Act in the UK. With me is Joe Mullin, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Interview Notes

• Joe Mullin (EFF): https://www.eff.org/about/staff/joe-mullin
• EFF on KOSA: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/dont-fall-latest-changes-dangerous-kids-online-safety-act
• EFF on KOSA in depth: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/analyzing-kosas-constitutional-problems-depth
• Contact Congress: https://www.eff.org/congress
• EFF on CA ballot initiative: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/eff-opposes-california-initiative-would-cause-mass-censorship
• EFF submission to Ofcom: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/effs-submission-ofcoms-consultation-illegal-harms
• Santa Clara Principles for online content moderation: https://santaclaraprinciples.org/

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Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

• 0:00:56: Eclipse!
• 0:01:50: Treasure & Coin promo update
• 0:02:29: Interview preview
• 0:03:41: What are the primary concerns today with kids on the internet?
• 0:08:24: What laws already exist to protect kids online?
• 0:17:05: What are the key provisions of KOSA?
• 0:25:04: What content is KOSA trying to restrict based on age?
• 0:34:22: What did we learn from the UK’s Online Safety Act?
• 0:38:47: Doesn’t KOSA interfere with Section 230?
• 0:44:41: How does KOSA impact content access for adults?
• 0:50:17: Are our representatives seeking insights from groups like EFF?
• 0:54:58: Are there onlione safety regulations EFF could support?
• 0:58:55: Do you have any advice for parents on protecting their kids online?
• 1:06:55: Interview wrap-up
• 1:08:59: Patron bonus content
• 1:09:28: Looking ahead