COPPA feels pretty outdated in today’s online world. A lot of sites now ask users to confirm their age even when it’s not really needed, sometimes using AI tools that can get things wrong or push people to share personal info. This brings up some serious worries about privacy, accuracy, and how accessible things are online. The Electronic Child Safety Initiative (ECSI) thinks that laws about online safety, like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, should keep kids safe without relying on unnecessary tracking or dodgy tech. If you think these laws can be better, consider joining the conversation and help push for changes by taking part in the ECSI community forums.

COPPA feels pretty outdated in today’s online world. A lot of sites now ask users to confirm their age even when it’s not really needed, sometimes using AI tools that can get things wrong or push people to share personal info. This brings up some serious worries about privacy, accuracy, and how accessible things are online. The Electronic Child Safety Initiative (ECSI) thinks that laws about online safety, like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, should keep kids safe without relying on unnecessary tracking or dodgy tech. If you think these laws can be better, consider joining the conversation and help push for changes by taking part in the ECSI community forums.

Thanks to the FEC and OpenSecrets we're able to find who's lobbying and funding the age verification laws.

Interestingly enough it turns out the same entities are the largest funders of the UK Online Safety Act, California's Age-Appropriate Design Code, Digital Age Assurance Act and New York's SAFE for Kids Act. so here it is:

Oak Foundation funds:
- 5Rights Foundation (they run the Kids Code Coalition and are UK based)
- Fairplay
- Common Sense Media

Oak Foundation is funded solely by Alan M. Parker the British billionaire who co-founded Duty Free Shoppers.

Common Sense Media (one of Oak's funded orgs) is also independently funded by:
- Bezos Family Foundation
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)
- Gates Foundation
- Dell Foundation
- Craig Newmark Philanthropies
- Hewlett Foundation
- Tom Steyer / Kat Taylor

Combined, the funding flowing into this advocacy ecosystem exceeds $100M/year.

Now you know.

#privacy #nowyouknow #infosec #identity #security

Thanks to the FEC and OpenSecrets we're able to find who's lobbying and funding the age verification laws.

Interestingly enough it turns out the same entities are the largest funders of the UK Online Safety Act, California's Age-Appropriate Design Code, Digital Age Assurance Act and New York's SAFE for Kids Act. so here it is:

Oak Foundation funds:
- 5Rights Foundation (they run the Kids Code Coalition and are UK based)
- Fairplay
- Common Sense Media

Oak Foundation is funded solely by Alan M. Parker the British billionaire who co-founded Duty Free Shoppers.

Common Sense Media (one of Oak's funded orgs) is also independently funded by:
- Bezos Family Foundation
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)
- Gates Foundation
- Dell Foundation
- Craig Newmark Philanthropies
- Hewlett Foundation
- Tom Steyer / Kat Taylor

Combined, the funding flowing into this advocacy ecosystem exceeds $100M/year.

Now you know.

#privacy #nowyouknow #infosec #identity #security

Surveillance used to look like cameras.

Now it often looks like advertising infrastructure.

Behavior tracking, data brokers, and behavioral models create datasets that governments can access later.

*The surveillance already happened.*

https://knowprose.com/2026/03/when-surveillance-isnt-called-surveillance/

#Privacy #Surveillance #DigitalTwins #DataEconomy

Surveillance used to look like cameras.

Now it often looks like advertising infrastructure.

Behavior tracking, data brokers, and behavioral models create datasets that governments can access later.

*The surveillance already happened.*

https://knowprose.com/2026/03/when-surveillance-isnt-called-surveillance/

#Privacy #Surveillance #DigitalTwins #DataEconomy

The Worst #Age Verification# Law Just #Dropped... #SomeOrdinaryGamers #sog #yt #privacy #security

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD25CJYPvy0

The Worst #Age Verification# Law Just #Dropped... #SomeOrdinaryGamers #sog #yt #privacy #security

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD25CJYPvy0

Want to easily batch-scrub photo metadata like I do to protect your privacy and maintain anonymity? Check out my blog post below:
https://zaku.eu.org/blog/2026-02-04-how-to-remove-exif-metadata-from-images-on-macos/

#ExifTool #macOS #Shortcuts #Anonymity #Privacy

Want to easily batch-scrub photo metadata like I do to protect your privacy and maintain anonymity? Check out my blog post below:
https://zaku.eu.org/blog/2026-02-04-how-to-remove-exif-metadata-from-images-on-macos/

#ExifTool #macOS #Shortcuts #Anonymity #Privacy

RE: https://mastodon.social/@taylorlorenz/116177786003329857

While the D.H.S. is flooding platforms with subpoenas to unmask anti-I.C.E. accounts and the Heritage Foundation wants to use KOSA to censor LGBTQ+ and abortion content, Dems and Republicans are working hard to abolish you're right to online anonymity, empower state attorneys general to mass censor any content online, and funnel tons of money and you're personal data to Peter Thiel

#uspol #KOSA #ageverification #OSA #socialmedia #privacy #surveillance #censorship #freespeech #HeritageFoundation

RE: https://mastodon.social/@taylorlorenz/116177786003329857

While the D.H.S. is flooding platforms with subpoenas to unmask anti-I.C.E. accounts and the Heritage Foundation wants to use KOSA to censor LGBTQ+ and abortion content, Dems and Republicans are working hard to abolish you're right to online anonymity, empower state attorneys general to mass censor any content online, and funnel tons of money and you're personal data to Peter Thiel

#uspol #KOSA #ageverification #OSA #socialmedia #privacy #surveillance #censorship #freespeech #HeritageFoundation

Deveillance's Spectre I, developed by a recent Harvard grad, wants to give people control over the always-on wearables surrounding their lives. The problem? Physics.

Deveillance's Spectre I, developed by a recent Harvard grad, wants to give people control over the always-on wearables surrounding their lives. The problem? Physics.

"Motorola quietly teams up with GrapheneOS to deliver true business smartphones with a supersafe version of Android, but it won't happen anytime soon"

"Motorola partners with GrapheneOS to advance business smartphone security while expanding enterprise analytics and privacy tools for professional organizations."

https://www.techradar.com/pro/motorola-quietly-teams-up-with-grapheneos-to-deliver-true-business-smartphones-with-a-supersafe-version-of-android-but-it-wont-happen-anytime-soon

#Privacy

"Motorola quietly teams up with GrapheneOS to deliver true business smartphones with a supersafe version of Android, but it won't happen anytime soon"

"Motorola partners with GrapheneOS to advance business smartphone security while expanding enterprise analytics and privacy tools for professional organizations."

https://www.techradar.com/pro/motorola-quietly-teams-up-with-grapheneos-to-deliver-true-business-smartphones-with-a-supersafe-version-of-android-but-it-wont-happen-anytime-soon

#Privacy

🎥🔴 Episode #43 of This Week in Privacy is live in 30 minutes, we'll be talking about GrapheneOS's new hardware partnership and other popular stories in the #privacy and #security space! Come say hi! 👋 youtube.com/live/hNwRKqS... #privacyguides

GrapheneOS has a Hardware Part...

🎥🔴 Episode #43 of This Week in Privacy is live in 30 minutes, we'll be talking about GrapheneOS's new hardware partnership and other popular stories in the #privacy and #security space! Come say hi! 👋

https://streamyard.com/watch/XMbXvxrQvYG4

#privacyguides

🎥🔴 Episode #43 of This Week in Privacy is live in 30 minutes, we'll be talking about GrapheneOS's new hardware partnership and other popular stories in the #privacy and #security space! Come say hi! 👋 youtube.com/live/hNwRKqS... #privacyguides

GrapheneOS has a Hardware Part...