Efforts to shield minors from abuse online often comes in the form of innocuously pitched requests for workarounds of the encryption that keeps users safe and anonymous online. It’s a Big Brother-esque pitch.
Even if the stated goal is noble, digital rights groups argue that the collateral damage to all users’ privacy online is too high, and the tactics often ineffective. It’s why Pornhub objected to a similar justification from a grab bag of US states.
Florida had been in the news (and the ire of digital rights groups) for a bill that sought to force social media companies into providing a backdoor through encryption, allowing law enforcement a way into users’ accounts, provided they obtain a warrant or subpoena. That bill has been defeated, though, and digital rights groups are celebrating.
not what it seems
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a US-based non-profit focused on digital rights, reported on May 5 that the Florida House of Representatives blocked the “Social Media Use By Minors” bill on May 2. By May 3, the bill was officially “indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration,” as written on the Florida Senate’s website.
“This bill should set off serious alarm bells for anyone who cares about digital rights, secure communication, or simply the ability to message someone privately without the government listening…” wrote the EFF. “In short: if your kid loses their right to encrypted communication, so does everyone they talk to.”
Every bill ever introduced has an innocuous, patriotic, or sensible name attached to it. I’m pretty sure that if one politician or another introduced a bill required every man, woman, and child to be perpetually on fire, the bill’s official name would be some anodyne title referencing
Despite the sensible name, the bill would’ve been a security and privacy nightmare. As its official summary stated, the bill set out to enforce several things, including requiring social media platforms to provide a mechanism that would allow law enforcement to decrypt the kind of end-to-end encryption that secures these platforms when they obtain a warrant or subpoena.
It’d also force social media platforms to let a “parent or legal guardian of a minor account holder” to view all of the minors’ messages. Lastly, the bill would prohibit minors from using or accessing temporary messages; i.e, those designed to disappear after a set amount of time or after being viewed.
“Encryption is one of the most important tools we have to protect privacy online,” wrote the EFF. “Florida’s SB 868 (“Social Media Use By Minors” bill) intends to completely undermine it while also putting the privacy and safety of young people at risk.”
With Florida SB868 defeated, the battle is won. Surely, though, emboldened conservative lawmakers will try again, in one state or another.
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