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.