Center for Online Safety and Liberty

@c4osl.org

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Empowering individuals and communities to thrive online by building safer spaces, fostering creativity, combating harm, and championing digital rights and freedom. c4osl.org

“Drawing the Line” puts forward principles that meet the moment in terms of approaching content in digital spaces holistically with respect for creativity, lived experiences, and an understanding of legitimate safety issues. - Zara Elizabeth Rush, Sociotechnical Linguist.
As digital laws and policies evolve, the line between abuse & expression is becoming blurred. Drawing The Line
"Drawing the Line" puts forward principles that meet the moment in terms of approaching content in digital spaces thoughtfully and holistically with respect for creativity, lived experiences, and an understanding of legitimate safety issues. - Zora Elizabeth Rush, Sociotechnical Linguist". Endorse the Drawing the Line Principles - https://drawingthelineprinciples.org
As digitial laws and policies evolve, the line between abuse and expression is becoming blurred. Endorse the Drawing the Line Principles https://drawingthelineprinciples.org
Governments are blurring the line between personal expression and lived abuse, which is diverting resources from protecting children and marginalized groups to policing expression. Tell them to stop by endorsing the Drawing the Line Principles. https://drawingthelineprinciples.org/ #FreeExpression
Center for Online Safety and Liberty. Drawing the Line Principles. Our comparative analysis of laws, prosecutions, and policy debates across 10 national legal systems reveals a common trend: governments are blurring the line between personal expression and lived abuse. As a result, resources are being redirected from protecting children and marginalized groups to policing expression. Endorse Now! https://drawingthelineprinciples.org
We’re heading to Zambia! 🛬 At @rightscon.org , COSL is hosting a workshop, “Drawing the Line” (May 7). How are governments regulating fictional & AI-generated sexual content—and what does that mean for rights & child protection? Register here: https://c4osl.org/rightscon-2026/
Where do we draw the line between digital expression & harm? We will explore how governments are handling AI-generated CSAM and what it means for rights, free expression, & child protection. bit.ly/3QLogJf @exshaps.bsky.social @ncacensorship.bsky.social @jere.my @accessnow.org #ILGA #RightsCon
At #RightsCon2026, COSL is hosting “Drawing the Line” (May 7, Lusaka + online). How are governments regulating fictional & AI-generated sexual content—and what does that mean for rights & child protection? Join us: https://c4osl.org/rightscon-2026/
When courts criminalize fiction and UN agencies blur CSAM definitions, real survivors lose focus. Our latest analysis unpacks why deepfake abuse demands targeted tools—not sweeping speech bans—and previews COSL’s RightsCon session. Read + boost: https://c4osl.org/deepfakes-fiction-csam-law/
“Police make fake accounts on queer dating apps to entrap queer people as a way to arrest them.” Hear how selective enforcement warps safety online in our newest Beyond the Filter drop. https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-sexual-content-online-who-gets-protected-and-who-gets-policed/ #Podcast
“Mostly LGBTQ content is flagged as adult or harmful.” Beyond the Filter asks who gets labeled unsafe when queer voices go online. Listen in. https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-sexual-content-online-who-gets-protected-and-who-gets-policed/ #Podcast #LGBTQ #censorship
“Thinking that deepfakes are something that are unregulated is just trying to, again, force legislation where we actually need more education.” Sofia breaks down the real fix in our latest episode. https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-sexual-content-online-who-gets-protected-and-who-gets-policed/
“Censorship is mostly about narrative control, as well as invisibilization of certain kinds of narratives.” Brandy and Jeremy unpack how moderation choices shape culture. https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-sexual-content-online-who-gets-protected-and-who-gets-policed/ #Podcast #Censorship
🛑 RED ALERT: New terrible bill "H.R.7661 0 - Stop the Sexualization of Children Act" yet again tries to censor LGBTQ+ expression masquerading as "child safety" https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7661/text #LGBTQ #TransRightsAreHumanRights
“Safety has become this keyword that justifies anything — mainly, well, censorship.” New Beyond the Filter episode digs into who gets silenced and who gets heard. https://c4osl.org/beyond-the-filter-sexual-content-online-who-gets-protected-and-who-gets-policed/ #Podcast #Censorship #Safety
"Too often, online policy debates treat safety and freedom as a zero-sum choice: more safety is assumed to require less liberty, and more liberty is assumed to tolerate harm." https://c4osl.org/february-2026-newsletter #Newsletter #Freedom #Safety #Harm
"When speech is indiscriminately censored and access is curtailed, online spaces for discussion, creativity, support, and protest either disappear or are drained of their diversity and vitality." https://c4osl.org/february-2026-newsletter #Newsletter #AnnualReport #Censorship #FreeExpression
"Safety and liberty online should not be at odds with each other." https://c4osl.org/february-2026-newsletter #Newsletter #AnnualReport #OnlineSafety #Liberty
"Think twice about what you post and do on the Internet so you can stay out of sight of ICE’s radar. Be cautious, be safe, and remember the ICE age will melt." https://c4osl.org/living-under-the-ice-age-how-the-agency-is-surveilling-people-and-what-you-can-do-to-prevent-it/
"It is important that in this age of constant surveillance that citizens monitor what we say or post online." https://c4osl.org/living-under-the-ice-age-how-the-agency-is-surveilling-people-and-what-you-can-do-to-prevent-it/
"In late 2025, reports have been shared stating ICE is taking steps to implement surveillance programs to monitor social media activity across Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook." https://c4osl.org/living-under-the-ice-age-how-the-agency-is-surveilling-people-and-what-you-can-do-to-prevent-it/
"ICE has come under massive scrutiny for confronting and detaining undocumented with no criminal history, legal immigrants, or U.S. citizens in manners that are violent and dangerous." https://c4osl.org/living-under-the-ice-age-how-the-agency-is-surveilling-people-and-what-you-can-do-to-prevent-it/
A child abuse image is evidence of a crime against a real child. A fictional drawing is not. To protect children and human rights, law must reflect this distinction. drawingthelineprinciples.org #DrawingTheLine #Fiction #FreeSpeech #ThoughtCrime
As real offences decline, prosecutions increasingly target imagined depictions. The data suggests enforcement priorities are shifting from child protection to moral regulation. drawingthelineprinciples.org #DrawingTheLine #FantasyIsNotAbuse #ThoughtCrime
Conflating fictional material with child abuse material takes away resources from helping real child victims to instead investigate fiction. drawingthelineprinciples.org
Explore the complex interplay of art, fiction, and real abuse – Dec 10th! https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #AIregulation #childabuseprevention
Law enforcement resources are being diverted. Join the discussion on AI and child abuse - December 10th: https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #DigitalSafety
Blurring legal lines & moral panic threaten vulnerable communities. Attend the #DrawingTheLine webinar on December 10th https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #OnlineJustice
The “Drawing the Line” Watchlist exposes a global shift. Dec 10th – https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinarr #AIethics #childprotection #DrawingTheLine
Is AI driving a dangerous distraction from real child abuse cases? Find out Dec 10th at this vital webinar https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #HumanRights
Dec 10th: Join experts as they unpack the legal and ethical challenges of AI-generated imagery https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #DigitalRights
Artists, queer communities, & educators are at risk. Explore the intersection of art, fiction, & abuse in this #DrawingTheLine webinar on December 10th https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #OnlineSafety
Data reveals a concerning trend: prosecutions for real child sexual abuse are down, while cases involving purely fictional or AI-generated material have surged. Learn more on December 10th: https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #ResponsibleAI
🚨 Urgent: AI & child abuse imagery are shifting legal focus. Join the discussion on December 10th! https://c4osl.org/drawing-the-line-webinar #AI #childabuse #legalreform