The Kids Online Safety Act is Still A Huge Danger to Our Rights Online.::Congress has resurrected the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. KOSA was introduced in 2022 but failed to gain traction, and today its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and…

      • demlet@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m not an expert by any stretch, but couldn’t they force your ISP to just shut off your internet if you use a VPN? Maybe I don’t understand how it actually works well enough.

        • Irisos@lemmy.umainfo.live
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          1 year ago

          They could implement restrictions to block VPN traffic. But that would be repealed as fast as it came when these very congressmen would phone angrily their district on why they can work from their million dollar home anymore.

          Support: Sorry VPNs are now blocked and you cannot work remotely without them

          Congressman: Who are the idiots that voted for these laws

          Support: Well, you and your friends

          • demlet@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Ha, and you don’t think Congress would write in an exception for them and their wealthy donors? I’m surprised anyone in the US believes fairness is on the table anymore.

            • PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works
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              1 year ago

              There’s money to be made by requiring VPN companies to meet minimum requirements that few companies can actually meet or are willing to. Backdoors for example.

      • infyrin@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        At this point, everyone is breaking the law online already. It’s just a matter of the level.

      • demlet@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        More like a next move. If I remember correctly, there was language in the TikTok bill a while back that would have effectively made using a VPN illegal. Maybe I’m misremembering that. I have no doubt there are people who want to make it happen.

        • Petter1@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Companies relay on VPN to allow remote work while protecting their IP. But maybe it’s only about VPN to/from foreign servers.