None Of This is About Online Safety
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As the U.S. contemplates a horrible piece of legislation called the Kids Online Safety Act that would strip all anonymity from the internet, entrench the power of big tech, and actually endanger kids by allowing organizations like the Heritage Foundation to censor LGBTQ content, reproductive justice content, and content advocating for things like feminism and equal rights, I think it’s important to look at how similar laws have already played out in other countries.
A few months ago, I wrote a feature for The Guardian about the devastating effects of the UK’s Online Safety Act, which has been used to deplatform marginalized groups and censor vast amounts of fact-based journalism. However, one of the earliest countries to embrace these fake “online safety” laws to usher in authoritarianism and censorship is Sri Lanka.
Several years ago, the government temporarily banned social media, then passed a restrictive Online Safety Act, which they have used to enact harsh controls over what can and cannot be said online, all under the guise of “child safety” and curbing “misinformation.”
This has been especially devastating for the Eelam Tamil ethnic group in Sri Lanka, which remains heavily persecuted by the government. Documentarian and content creator ArunAnnow has been covering the persecution of the Eelam Tamil people and Sri Lanka’s bad internet laws.
He joined me to talk about how Sri Lanka’s “online safety” crusade is serving as a blueprint for authoritarian U.S. laws. WATCH HERE.
Reminder that I am totally dependent on your financial support to do this work. Please buy a paid subscription to my Substack or support me on Patreon so that I can continue to report on these terrifying legal efforts that the mainstream media is not covering at all.
Support DonorsChoose This Giving Tuesday
Teachers are struggling. Schools are underfunded and public education is under attack. Lawmakers are banning or refusing to fund technology in classrooms, leaving poor and marginalized students at a significant disadvantage.
This Giving Tuesday, you can make a difference by helping to fund a teacher’s wishlist. Help low income students access chemistry kits, where they can investigate gas laws and atomic structure in a safe and guided way. Or help provide a classroom with Arduino kits that will allow them to design, build, and test projects that bring engineering and coding to life.
Children deserve the opportunity to learn and nurture their critical thinking skills. But they need your help. DonorsChoose is a fantastic organization that aggregates teachers’ requests from across the country, and lets you pick which classroom projects or supplies to fund.
I worked with DonorsChoose to create a full list of teachers that need your support. Take action today and change a child’s life. Teachers have the plans, students have the potential, and you have the power to make learning possible.