#internet freedom

So, in terrible news, Trump's trying to pull some strings to pass this massive internet censorship bill, featuring all the kinds of internet censorship we're terrified of, including mandatory ID for accessing basically any website, specifically to crush state regulation of AI, because apparently this man will always see the moral bottom of the barrel and start digging.

But while cancelling Nitro and boycotting Discord CAN be a form of protest, it sadly may not be effective on its own. Why? Bc their hands are tied due to the recent trend in age verification bills worldwide.

This site helps send emails to your lawmakers to oppose certain Internet bills in the US, many of which would push age verification if passed HOWEVER, calling your lawmakers on the phone is most effective. If you're not in the US, you can still help by spreading the word. The only way to prevent age verification (On Discord and ALL other social media platforms) is to prevent the bills that are forcing it. Look at the site for more info

Do not give your information to any big American company hiding behind the "protect the kids" excuse.

Fight it. Pirate content. Brute force your way in or try and find a place that won't comply.

This is a huge step in the wrong direction and we must fight this together across all borders and lines because this will effect everyone who uses the internet

Fuck KOSA and OSA. Fuck the government and all the politicians who voted yes for these disgusting bills.

STOP SCROLLING NOW!

AS OF FEBRUARY 21ST, 2024, WE GOT FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE DAY OF DECISION OF THE KOSA BILL, WHICH WILL CAUSE MASS CENSORSHIP ROUND THE INTERNET IF PASSED. WE NEED EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND CONTRIBUTE. I'M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU ALL.

(IMPORTANT UPDATE: Kosa will not necessarily pass on the 26th. It only has the support to pass in Senate, and we STILL HAVE TIME. That being said, time is of the essence.)

WE'RE DOWN TO THE WIRE BUT WE CAN'T GIVE UP YET. IF WE GIVE UP, EVERYTHING IS OVER. IF WE DON'T, AT LEAST WE HAVE A CHANCE.

I'M THE ONE WHO SOUNDED THE ALARM, AND I'M NOT GOING TO CURL UP AND DIE YET.

Reblog this post in every LEGAL way you can under the Tumblr guidelines with the appropriate tags. TELL AND TAG EVERYONE YOU KNOW, then add the tags to see below... and more if you can think of any complying.

Visit badinternetbills.com if you want to find a way to defeat KOSA. It WILL NOT take much of your time. Reblog with any other information or sources, too-- but make sure to reblog if you can.

Reblog if you support lgbtq+ content.

Reblog if you support questioning queer youth and/or abused youth getting the information they need.

Reblog if you support Ao3 and/or other sites that wholeheartedly preserve talentedly made media.

Reblog if you're going to repost this on other sites than Tumblr and spread the word across Twitter, Tik Tok, Pinterest, or elsewhere, alongside the link to badinternetbills.com.

Reblog if you think KOSA is unfair and shouldn't be anyone's problem -- including the adults ALL OVER THE DAMN EARTH forced to face the mass censorship it causes because "think of the American Children!".

Reblog if you support internet activism and Palestine.

Reblog if you hate fascism or censorship, and don't want actually serious and helpful conversations censored on the internet.

Reblog if you value the internet in any way at all whatsoever.

CHECK THIS PETITION, TOO! https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-kosa?recruiter=1331807538&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf&recruited_by_id=57368c40-d0fd-11ee-98f7-2175430f819f&share_bandit_exp=initial-36809664-en-US

(Also, please reblog with at least "stop kosa" as a tag and not "kosa". I made the mistake of not adding just "kosa" as a tag...)

We won't let this stand any longer. Let's start a riot and get this trending.

When calling your reps/ministers about any age certification internet bills (KOSA, Screen Act, Bill S-209, etc) use this as an example on why they should oppose those bills. Please tell them the name of the article and who wrote it so they can look up and read the article themselves. Tell them they won't make the same bad decision as the UK government did.

”Ferguson and Commissioners Mark Meador and Melissa Holyoak said they plan to vociferously enforce the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a recently signed law that requires tech companies to remove nonconsensual sexual imagery within 48 hours of being alerted.” - Politico

If you care about LGBTQ rights and safety, contact orgs.

If you care about trans rights and safety, contact orgs.

If you care about women’s rights and free speech, contact orgs.

If you care about YOUR rights and free speech, contact orgs.

Hell, if you care about keeping the Internet open to anything at all, YOU CONTACT ORGS.

IF YOU CARE ABOUT PROTESTING AT ALL AGAINST WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR GOVERNMENT, FULL STOP, YOU NEED TO CONTACT ORGS.

Trump has LITERALLY SAID THAT HE PLANS ON USING THIS TO HIS OWN ADVANTAGE AND CENSOR HIS CRITICS. The language of this bill is TOO BROAD to ONLY target ai deepfakes. THAT IS INTENTIONAL. THEY WANT TO GIVE HIM MORE UNCHECKED POWER.

Where is the backlash that happened right after he signed it into law?? Where did it go? WE NEED THAT ENERGY AGAIN. WE NEED TO ALL URGE ORGS TO SUE AND TAKE THIS BILL TO COURT. IT HAS NO SAFEGUARDS IN ITS TEXT THAT SPECIFY IT TO ONLY AFFECT AI DEEPFAKES. IT WILL BE USED TO CENSOR LGBTQ COMMUNITIES AND OTHER GROUPS. IF YOU THINK YOU ARE SAFE FROM THIS, YOU. AREN’T. THIS WILL AFFECT EVERYONE.

CALL THE ELECTRIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION.

CALL THE ACLU.

TELL FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE.

IN THIS POLITICAL CLIMATE WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AT STAKE, WHERE SO MANY LIVES ARE BEING THREATENED, THE AFFECTS OF THIS BILL WILL BE DRASTIC. IT WILL ISOLATE THE VULNERABLE, IT WILL KEEP US UNINFORMED, AND IT. WILL. SILENCE. US. OUR PROTESTS, EVERYTHING.

WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH 2025.

WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH JULY ALREADY.

WE HAVE LESS THAN 6 MONTHS TO GET THESE POLICIES CHALLENGED AND TAKEN DOWN.

SO HELP US! PLEASE!

HERE IS A BASELINE SCRIPT TO USE WHEN EMAILING ORGS. YOU CAN EDIT IT AS NEEDED TO VOICE YOUR OWN CONCERNS.

“Hello [insert org name here], I'm emailing you to call attention to the Take it Down Act, also known as TIDA.

TIDA is intended as a way to crack down on deepfake content, which often includes generated images of non-consenting individuals. In reality, this bill can and will be used by the Trump Administration as yet another overreach of government power, and to remove any content the President doesn't like from the Internet.

I urge you to please help us by challenging this bill in court as it directly goes against our 1st amendment rights.”

Get loud.