[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4340-S4341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE SHIELDING CHILDREN'S RETINAS FROM EGREGIOUS EXPOSURE ON THE NET ACT

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, as a parent of young children, I certainly 
understand the impulse to shield children from harmful or inappropriate 
content online. That is why I wrote section 230 of the Communications 
Act back in 1996--to empower companies to offer tools that allow 
families to decide what content to block and filter for their children. 
However, the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on 
the Net Act goes far beyond empowering parents and protecting kids--or 
any compelling governmental interest.
  Instead, it would violate the privacy rights of every single American 
by requiring invasive and data-abusive age verification technology to 
access a broad swath of lawful adult content on the internet. Indeed, 
it would encourage platforms to verify any internet user attempting to 
access a broad array of websites that might host deemed-harmful content 
using the most common form of verification--a government-issued ID. 
Requiring websites to collect the IDs of everyone attempting to view 
adult content will inevitably lead to a privacy, national security, and 
counterintelligence disaster when adversaries and criminals obtain 
those records.
  In addition, it would incentivize platforms to censor anything that 
might fit the bill's broad definition of content harmful to minors, to 
avoid investigations and fines, even if that content is

[[Page S4341]]

perfectly legal. Such censorship would undoubtedly include information 
about sexual health, LGBTQ+ content and, content from other 
marginalized or vulnerable groups.
  Neither of these outcomes are good for the vital American rights of 
privacy and access to information. For this reason, I will object to 
any unanimous agreement to take up or pass the Shielding Children's 
Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net Act.

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