From the ACLU, this is at Liberty.

I'm Kendall Seesmeyer, your host.

Today's young people have a lot to deal with.

Pandemic interruptions, social isolation, climate change, political polarization, ever-changing

technology. And this is all on top of the typical turbulence of adolescence. Studies on youth

mental health outcomes show increasing levels of loneliness and hopelessness, proving one thing.

The kids are not all right. We all want a silver bullet

fix for the youth mental health crisis, and some lawmakers are claiming that they have one. The

Kids Online Safety Act, or COSA, for short. After failing to gain traction in 2022, this bipartisan bill has been revised and

reintroduced by Congress. But like most solutions that claim to solve all of our woes with

the stroke of a pen, COSA is too good to be true. If passed, COSA would allow each state attorney

general to individually decide what parts of the internet kids can and cannot access.

In fact, COSA proponents have even openly admitted that they plan to use COSA to block kids from LGBTQ content online.

Now, we had the ACLU, along with other civil rights organizations, and parents of queer and trans youth

have spoken out against the bill for all the ways that it overreaches and suppresses our right

to free information, targeting LGBTQ people. As anti-LGBQ plus legislation continues to rise,

it's likely that COSA is one of many censorship tools masquerading as a

kid's safety solution. Joining us today to explain the consequences this bill could have for us all,

our Evan Greer, director of the digital rights group Fight for the Future, and Cody Vensky,

Senior Policy Council at the ACLU.

Evan, Cody, welcome to at Liberty, and thank you so much for joining me.

Thanks for having us. Good to be here.

...