Patrick Dorn

@pdorn.bsky.social

116 Followers 204 Following

Chicago | he/him | Network Engineer Trans rights are human rights Block early, block often

EFF has long warned against age-gating the internet. Age verification technology itself is often inaccurate and privacy-invasive. These restrictive mandates strike at the foundation of the free and open internet. They are tools of censorship, used to block people from viewing or sharing information that the government deems "harmful" or "offensive." And they create surveillance systems that critically undermine online privacy, chill access to vital online communities and resources, and burden the expressive rights of adults and young people alike.
Governments in the U.S. and around the world are increasingly adopting these restrictive [age verification] measures in the name of protecting children online. But in practice, these systems create dangerous new forms of surveillance, censorship, and exclusion.
Screenshot of IL General Assembly website showing 705 opponent witness slips on HB5511.
Screenshot of IL General Assembly website showing 222 opponent witness slips on HB5511.