Sign in

Protecting Kids Online

@protectingkids.bsky.social
29 followers 25 following 52 posts

A coalition of parents and citizens protecting kids from surveillance policies disguised as child safety.

PostsRepliesMedia
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 6h
Before pushing new digital‑ID laws, we should look at what already works. New York’s TikTok lawsuit shows existing statutes can hold platforms accountable. 🔗 Full article: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p…
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Full breakdown on our Substack: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p…
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
The Settlement Florida Rejected, and the Surveillance System It Asked for Instead
AG Uthmeier called the multistate deal a slap on the wrist. His alternative is a court-ordered age-verification regime.
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Florida's AG just filed an emergency motion against Meta. The motion is being sold as "child safety." The filing asks a court to make Meta identify minors, demand proof of age, meter use, flag searches, and restrict feeds and messages. That is age verification, data collection, & surveillance
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
“Once my kid realized the camera was there, I took it down.” John Coleman explains how constant monitoring shapes a child’s mindset and why AI systems in schools could take that feeling to a whole new level.
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"Government mandates and censorship will not protect children online. Free minds and parental guidance are the best means to protect our children online." Senator Rand Paul Parents are the firewall. Not government. Not Big Tech. Join the coalition: protectingkids.online
032
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Full breakdown on our latest Substack: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
023
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
KOSA stalled, but only for now. Sponsors are lining up support for a lame‑duck revival, and the next attempt will move fast if parents aren’t paying attention. This fight isn’t over — and November is the danger zone.
11412
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Rumor has it there's a last-ditch effort in the Senate to move KOSA - the Kids Online Safety Act. This is online surveillance. It does not protect children.
0915
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Digital Parenting Tip: Collect the phones at the door. Charge them where you can see them. Use is a privilege, not a default. Parents are the firewall. Not the government. Not Big Tech.
011
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
You don’t need a new law to protect kids online. Charge devices outside the bedroom. Parents first. Then the kids. That’s when a lot of the harm happens — late at night, in private rooms. Free. Simple. No digital ID required. #DigitalID #ProtectingKidsOnline #parenting #parentingtips
023
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Discord’s new age‑assurance system isn’t a “safety upgrade.” It’s the result of state policies pushing platforms toward digital‑ID frameworks. This is the direction lawmakers are taking the internet. Read the full breakdown and join PKO to push back. vrl.link/aL
025
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
“This is Flock in your pocket.” Kansas Rep. Rebecca Schmoe: app-store “child safety” bills don’t just touch kids. They age-gate everyone and build a family registry inside Big Tech. #protectingkidsonline #digitalID #parenting #surveillance #Flock
012
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Happening TONIGHT! Join us for the virtual launch of Protecting Kids Online Register: streamyard.com/watch/PapprUfZBXgb Parents are the firewall. Not the government and not Big Tech!
022
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We broke down the findings and what they mean for U.S. families on our Substack: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p…
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
The First Real Evidence Is In: Age Verification Laws Don’t Empower Parents — They Expand Surveillance.
Lawmakers have been promising that age‑verification mandates would finally “protect kids online.” The pitch is simple: keep younger teens off social media, require platforms to verify age, and empower parents with new tools.
025
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Australia just released the first real data on nationwide age‑verification laws and it’s not what lawmakers promised. 🚫 Kids weren’t protected. 🚫 Parents weren’t empowered. ✅ Surveillance expanded. 1/2
138
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Full article: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p…
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
Florida’s New School AI Rule Protects Parents, but Records Children
Florida’s new classroom AI policy includes meaningful parental protections. It also requires children’s AI interactions to be recorded and allows school districts to review them.
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Florida’s school AI rule includes real parent protections. It also requires students’ AI interactions to be recorded for at least 30 days and permits district review. Parental access isn’t the same as data minimization. Child safety must not normalize student surveillance.
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Rep. Rebecca Schmoe didn’t vote “against kids.” She voted against turning child safety into a data-collection statute. Kansas Senate passed the App Store bill. She blocked it because “parental consent” still required verifying every adult. Sept 22 • 7PM ET streamyard.com/watch/PapprU...
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Ben Gillenwater spent 30 years securing systems. Then he tried to secure his own kid’s iPad. That’s how the Family IT Guy started. Next Tuesday he walks through what parents can set up now before anyone in D.C. “fixes” it for you. LIVE Sept 22 • 7PM ET Register: streamyard.com/watch/Pappr
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
☝️ One week out. Tuesday, Sept 22 • 7PM ET — we go live with the Protecting Kids Online launch. ✅ Subscribe to the YouTube channel now so you get the reminder when we start www.youtube.com/@protectingkidsonli…
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Parents don’t need another database. We need the tools and the freedom to keep adult platforms off a child’s phone. We walked the bill, not the talking points: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p/the-16-and... /end
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The “privacy” section even writes the age check in: appeal the shutdown, hand over whatever is “strictly necessary to verify the age of the user,” get an answer in five days. Deletion comes after identification. That is age verification at national scale. 3/
111
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
“Should have known” is the whole bill. Platforms will not guess and hope. They will build a system that can tell 15 from 16. 🚨You cannot do that to children without doing it to everyone else. 2/
111
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The 16 & Up Act is out. Press release: bright line at 16, kids get their childhoods back. The statute: platforms may not keep an account if they know, or should have known, the user is under 16. 🧵
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
🚨California’s new "child safety" laws build the foundation for identity verification, AI monitoring, and expanded digital control...for kids and adults. Full breakdown in our latest Substack: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p…
001
Reposted by Protecting Kids Online
TechCrunch @techcrunch.com · 10/09/2026
Meta’s AI agent Muse is now the No. 2 app in the US
techcrunch.com
Meta’s AI agent Muse is now the No. 2 app in the US
Meta's newest app Muse is off to a slower start than the company's other apps, like Meta AI or Threads.
1121
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A massive breach at an identity‑verification vendor leaked 153M+ driver’s licenses, proving what many have been warning: age‑verification laws don’t protect kids. They expose their identities to permanent risk. Details: vrl.link/ah
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Jury selection had started. Trial was underway. And then...settlement. Zuckerberg has never been a good witness in front of Congress. This settlement was damage control before discovery could expose more.
011
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The Surgeon General’s September 1 “Live Real Life” symposium isn’t just another event — it’s the moment the federal narrative on kids and screens goes public. PKO breaks down what to watch and why it matters. Read the full post on Substack: vrl.link/9r
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
🚨 LIVE TONIGHT!! Join us at 7PM to discuss the Meta settlement - digital ID or child safety? - with Ben Gillenwater, the Family IT Guy Watch live: www.youtube.com/live/rzqNBVqJPv4?si…
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Meta trial remedies include multi-layered age verification, underage-user classifiers, and mandatory parent account linking for under-18s. These “fixes” build more identity systems and data collection. Parents are the firewall. vrl.link/9h
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Read the full analysis ⬇️ protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p/what-the-3...
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
What the 30‑State Lawsuit Against Meta Really Means for Online Safety
When 30 Attorneys General sued Meta in late 2023, most coverage focused on the dollar amount, a potential trillion‑dollar liability, and the emotional testimony about youth mental health.
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
As the Meta trial moves forward, states are pushing for age checks, parental verification, and identity‑tracking systems that would apply to millions of users. Parents deserve to understand what’s actually being asked for and what it means for digital life.
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Join our coalition: www.protectingkids.online/takeaction
protectingkids.online
Take Action | Protecting Kids Online
Children deserve real online protections—but those protections should strengthen families, preserve privacy, and keep parents in the driver's seat. We oppose policies that require Americans to surrend...
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🏫School is back in full swing. Before the data footprint grows any larger: ☑️Request the full list of required apps + their privacy policies. ☑️Ask whether monitoring runs off-campus. ☑️Note retention periods for behavioral or activity data. ✅You are the firewall. 🚫Not another student database
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Parents and citizens need to understand what’s coming next session. Full story: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p/age-verifi...
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
Age Verification 2.0: The New Surveillance Model States Are Preparing for Your Kids
Virginia’s ASAA study shows how lawmakers plan to rebuild parental controls and digital identity systems, not abandon them.
098
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
States aren’t backing away from age‑verification laws, they’re quietly rewriting them to survive court challenges. Virginia’s App Store Accountability Act study shows the new model: identity checks, mandatory parental controls, & platform‑level surveillance built to look “legally safer.” 1/2
11210
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
PKO breaks down what’s really behind age verification + gives parents a tip they can use TODAY: No phones in bedrooms. Ever. protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p/americans-...
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
Americans Support Social Media Regulation, But Age Verification Requires Hidden Surveillance
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows overwhelming bipartisan agreement that social media needs reform.
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
New Reuters polling shows Americans want social media reform, but the “solutions” being pushed require identity binding, biometrics, and surveillance systems for kids. People aren’t asking for that. They’re asking for help. 1/2
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Nothing in the ruling helps parents set boundaries, reduce screen time, or understand the platforms their kids use. Parents aren’t even mentioned. And parents are the firewall; not algorithms, not government, not surveillance systems. Full details: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p/the-meta-r...
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
The Meta Ruling: More Surveillance, More Data Collection, and Still No Real Protection for Kids
Yesterday the New Mexico court handed down its massive ruling against Meta and the headlines are celebrating it as a victory for children.
000
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
The court’s “solutions” require Meta to track MORE teen behavior, scan MORE interactions, and feed MORE data into government reporting pipelines. This isn’t protection; it’s expansion of the same system that’s already failing kids. 2/
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Headlines: “Massive win for kids vs Meta.” $567M abatement fund + $375M penalties + sweeping changes to FB/IG. Reality: More surveillance. More data collection on kids. More algorithmic control. More reports to government. Parents? Nowhere in this picture. 🧵
100
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Age verification is, by definition, fundamentally censorship. KOSA, App Store Accountability Act, and other "child protection" tech policies create a government censorship system. ✅Parents are the firewall 🚫Not the state 🚫Not Big Tech #ProtectingKidsOnline #AgeVerification #Privacy #FreeSpeech
0127
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Parents remain the most effective safeguard for children online. Read the full statement: protectingkids.online/news/protect... ✅Parents are the firewall. 🚫Not the state. 🚫Not Big Tech.
protectingkids.online
KOSA & Surveillance Bills Advanced: Why Parents Must Push Back
The stronger version of KOSA just advanced. Learn why these “kids safety” bills expand surveillance and why parents remain the real firewall
034
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Today the Senate Commerce Committee advanced KOSA and three other bills from the "Surveillance Slate". We continue to oppose this legislation. These measures expand data collection, create new compliance burdens, and push age-verification infrastructure under the banner of child safety.
1810
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
KOSA sounds like it protects kids. But the actual bill text delivers paperwork protections for platforms, mandates new data collection on minors, and builds surveillance infrastructure and calls it child safety. Parents should stay in control. Not government mandates. You are the firewall.
037
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Parents are the firewall. Not the state. Not Big Tech. Read the full breakdown on our Substack: protectingkidsonline.substack.com/p/senate-com...
protectingkidsonline.substack.com
Senate Commerce Marks Up KOSA Today: Why This “Kids Safety” Package Is Surveillance, Not Protection
This morning the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is holding an executive session (markup) on a package of bills sold as “kids online safety.” The agenda includes:
044
Protecting Kids Online @protectingkids.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
🚨 Today the Senate Commerce Committee is marking up KOSA and the rest of the “Surveillance Slate.” This is NOT a final vote. KOSA will not become law today. But these bills expand age verification, data collection, and control, while failing to actually protect kids. 1/2
197
Reposted by Protecting Kids Online
The Nexus of Privacy @thenexusofprivacy.net · 05/08/2026
Great point. And if you've got Republican Senators, remind them that Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Conservative Ladies of America all oppose these bills. @protectingkids.bsky.social has some good talking points at www.protectingkids.online/kidsonlinesa...
protectingkids.online
Kids Online Safety Act | Protecting Kids Online
KOSA sounds like a bill that forces platforms to protect children. It does not. At its core, the bill requires platforms to exercise “reasonable care” in how they design their products. That means doc...
11113
Reposted by Protecting Kids Online
Taylor Lorenz @taylorlorenz.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
CALL YOUR CONGRESS PERSON NOW!!!!!! Tell them: — NO to KOSA — NO to Section 230 reform — NO to the SCREEN Act — NO to the App Store Accountability Act —NO age verification laws —NO to digital ID systems
1115751239