Op-Ed: The Plan to Blow Up the Internet, Ostensibly to Protect Kids Online (Regarding AB 2273)
August 22, 2022 · by Eric Goldman · in Content Regulation, Privacy/Security
[I published this anti-AB 2273 op-ed in Capitol Weekly. For more on the problems with AB 2273, see my deep dive and short explainer.]
The California Legislature is aggressively pursuing several wide-sweeping and radical proposals to regulate the Internet. One especially problematic bill is AB 2273, the California Age Appropriate Design Code Act (AADC). Framed as a protect-kids-online bill, the AADC would radically reshape the Internet — and harm both kids and adults alike.
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@mmasnick
I’ve been writing a lot about the awful, terrible, horrible, #CAKidsCode and how it would be dangerous for privacy with its age verification. But a trade association for the age verifiers reached out to say not to worry… they just want to scan everyone’s faces. Really.So, if you thought cookie popups were annoying enough, just wait until every website makes you scan your face. And, if it’s high risk enough, maybe engage in “poof of lifeness” by having to tape videos repeating phrases. Again, really. This is how they want to protect kids.
I know this sounds like it can’t possibly be true, but go read their own words:
Age Verification Providers Say Don’t Worry About California Design Code; You’ll Just Have To Scan Your Face For Every Website You Visit
So, anyway, I’m still hoping @GavinNewsom realizes just how half-baked and dangerous this bill is and decides to veto it. Normalizing face scanning and “liveness tests” doesn’t seem like the sort of thing we should be encouraging. But it’s what the California legislature is doing