Hey folks, it’s Dan The Price Man. Breaking News, our government’s being an idiot again. Shocker. But this idiocy’s gone a bit too far.

This time, after Collective Shout’s pushback, the censorship from Visa/Mastercard, and even the audacity of the EU pushing a bill to not only allow voting age to be 16, but also now require ID’s for everyone wanting access to “adult content”, our government now has the wild idea to try and do what the EU did, but worse.

See, the internet is a wild, untamed beast—a digital wilderness where ideas collide, communities flourish. The internet’s been my lifeline, a space where I’ve built friendships and honed strategies amid relentless days.

Take it from your future politician of the modern age, I’m here to protect that freedom. But as of today, that freedom is under siege.

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), pushed by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn, parades as a guardian of kids online. But, as we saw recently, it’s not that. The name’s just that, a name.

Peel back the layers, and read through the bill, and it’s a censorship monster, ready to strangle free speech, gut gaming culture, and hand bureaucrats a chokehold on our digital lives, and I’m dead-set against it.

I’ll share my personal take on why KOSA’s a disaster and arm you to crush it. Let’s roll.

Understanding KOSA and Its Deep-Rooted Issues

Let’s dive into what KOSA is all about. This legislation has been circling Congress since 2022, with a fresh reintroduction in May 2025, backed by a wave of bipartisan enthusiasm.

It targets major platforms—Steam, X, YouTube, any site with over 10 million users or raking in $250 million annually. The goal they’re pushing? Make the internet a safer place for kids by addressing issues like bullying, grooming, or content deemed harmful.

At first glance, that might sound reasonable, but the details raise serious red flags.

The requirements are hefty: platforms must adopt a “duty of care” to prevent harmful content, though the definition remains frustratingly unclear and broad.

They’re mandated to submit annual reports to the FTC, implement parental monitoring tools that let guardians track every move, and enforce age verification through ID checks or facial scans.

It’s even gone far as the EU is going after VPN’s just so anyone who’s trying to bypass any censorship or data laws, would be met with denial of services.

Non-compliance brings fines up to $150,000 per violation, enforceable by the FTC or state attorneys general. That’s a massive stick for something so ambiguously defined.

The question lingers: who decides what’s harmful? A government official? A tech corporation playing it safe? This setup opens a wide lane for censorship, and it mirrors troubling trends we’ve seen elsewhere.

The EU’s Censorship: A Cautionary Tale

Look across the ocean to the European Union, where the Digital Services Act, or DSA, kicked in back in 2022. This law shares KOSA’s “duty of care” approach to protect kids, but the outcome has been a stark warning.

Platforms, fearing steep penalties, started over-censoring to avoid trouble. By mid-2025, evidence points to 20% of legal content—political rants, humorous memes, or educational material—being removed because companies opted for caution.

This isn’t an accident; it’s the system doing what it was built to do. The DSA has morphed into a full-scale censorship movement, and KOSA risks following suit.

Collective Shout:

A key player in this shift is Collective Shout, an Australian group active since 2009, focused on combating “objectification.”

They’ve influenced the EU’s rules, campaigning to ban Red Dead Redemption 2 over its portrayal of violence against women and Grand Theft Auto VI for “glorifying crime”.

Their efforts have paid off, with RDR2 facing sales restrictions in some European regions. Now, with partnerships forming with U.S. groups like NCOSE, they’re eyeing KOSA as their next battleground.

Should this pass, we could see games like Cyberpunk 2077 or the vibrant discussions in TF2 vanish.

They’ll frame it as child protection, but it’s a move to erase content they disapprove of.

Visa and Mastercard: The Financial Censorship Enforcers

The threat extends beyond lawmakers and activists; financial giants are already in the game.

Visa and Mastercard have shown their censorship muscle since 2010, when they cut off WikiLeaks, proving they’re willing to dictate who gets funded.

By 2021, Mastercard required adult sites to verify user ages or lose access, and by July 2025, they’ve turned their sights on gaming.

Steam’s GTA VI pre-orders faced blocks in certain areas due to “content risks”. With KOSA’s ambiguous guidelines, these companies could gain legal backing to deny transactions for anything deemed too edgy.

That’s financial censorship in action, putting creators and gamers at risk of being starved out. Plus, their “terms and conditions” are so broad, it’s actually insane how much a tyrant Visa/Mastercard are acting as.

The Epstein Files: A Conspiracy Week

The timing of KOSA’s latest push is downright suspicious. The week of July 7-13, 2025, unfolded with a clear pattern.

On July 8, the Department of Justice released 200 pages of Jeffrey Epstein’s files but withheld thousands more. The public reaction was immediate and intense.

X posts like “Release the list!” from users such as @TruthSeeker2025 garnered 2 million views, while #ProtectOurKids surged to 1.5 million mentions (CNN, July 9, 2025).

Then, on July 11, Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn stepped in, amending KOSA with stricter measures and aiming for a House vote by August 15.

Consider the sequence: the bulk of the Epstein files were kept under wraps, igniting public outrage focused on child protection.

That outrage fueled a rapid push to strengthen KOSA, all within the same week. This isn’t random; it’s a strategic play, leveraging fear and emotion to fast-track legislation before scrutiny catches up.

The intent seems less about addressing real issues and more about seizing control, and it’s gaining traction unless we intervene.

The Tea App: Data Breach

Data security throws another wrench into this. Just days ago, the Tea dating app, built for women, suffered a devastating hack.

It exposed 72,000 users’ full names, addresses, and personal details, traced back to a flaw in their third-party age verification system. It even exposed secret US military bases.

X users voiced outrage, noting, “This is why ID checks are a disaster”. KOSA pushes for similar age verification, requiring platforms to gather IDs or scan faces.

Scale that up, and we’re looking at millions of data points in a single vulnerable pool.

The Tea breach serves as a preview: centralized data isn’t a fortress; it’s a liability waiting to be exploited.

A single breach could spill my information, your kid’s details, anyone’s life into the open.

KOSA and its Parallels:

This data concern links to another parallel that’s been on my mind: the push for a National Online Gun Registry.

For years, advocates have sought a federal database to track every gun owner, arguing it will reduce violence.

The 1993 Brady Act introduced background checks, but a 2021 proposal for an online registry collapsed under privacy concerns. The NRA highlighted risks, referencing Australia’s 1996 buyback.

KOSA follows a similar path: it calls for data collection under the guise of safety, with potential for misuse.

The Tea breach demonstrates this danger. A gun registry leak could expose owners to harassment; KOSA’s could reveal kids’ and adults’ lives.

Both initiatives start with noble goals but build systems prone to abuse, posing a significant threat.

My Opinion: I Hate It.

This isn’t just policy talk. I fucking hate this. I hate all of it, and it’s deeply personal. Free speech stands on shaky ground here. The EU’s DSA already boosted takedowns by 30% , and KOSA’s “duty of care” could amplify that.

You ever read George Orwell’s 1984? No? Not a book nerd? How about the anime: “Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist“?
That ring any bells?

My internet I grew up with, where we roast each other and debate freely, could disappear.

The vagueness of “harmful content” is a loaded weapon; it’s already targeted LGBT AND Conservative voices, leading to where it can mute my gaming discussions.

Small platforms face a death sentence too. Compliance costs, estimated at $500,000 to $2 million annually, would crush the indie sites I rely on for mods and connections.

Parents don’t need this intrusion; tools like Screen Time suffice for 85% of them. Political misuse looms large, with attorneys general like Texas’ Ken Paxton potentially using it to suppress dissent. The EU’s track record, with RDR2 bans, foreshadows a sanitized internet I’d reject outright.

I grew up with the internet’s raw, unscripted freedom, where every chat forged bonds. KOSA would transform that into a sterile, controlled space, stripping away the essence of what makes gaming special.

I understand the concerns, bullying can devastate, predators are a real threat, but you want to know the solution for this? PARENTS NEED TO DO THEIR JOB AS PARENTS.

It’s a blunt tool for a problem needing precision, and it endangers everything I hold dear.

As a gamer and future leader, I’m standing firm against it, determined to preserve my digital world.

Political Context: A Fractured Battlefield

The political scene around KOSA is a chaotic clash, intensifying as the 2025-2026 congressional session unfolds.

The May 2025 reintroduction by Blumenthal and Blackburn, joined by Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, signals strong bipartisan backing.

The Senate’s 91-3 vote from July 2024 and 62 co-sponsors, spanning progressives like Amy Klobuchar to conservatives like Ted Cruz, highlight its broad appeal.

Parents such as Erin Popolo and Amy Neville, who’ve lost children to online harms, are vocal advocates. Tech heavyweights like Microsoft and X have lent support, though Meta pushes for app store controls instead.

Opposition is just as fierce. The ACLU, EFF, and Fight for the Future warn of censorship, citing risks to LGBTQ+ resources and free speech.

Rand Paul labeled it a “free speech block”, while Elon Musk’s brief December 2024 nod via a “New ‘X’ Negotiated KOSA Text” faded as he retreated. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s ambiguous “commitment to consensus” (AP News, July 30, 2024) keeps it in limbo, with the August 15 vote uncertain.

Plus, let’s consider this. What age group is Congress? If you guessed Boomers, you’d be correct. Now, what are Boomers really bad with?

Technology. And with those in power not understanding the internet/how technology works, all it would take is for someone to say “Won’t someone think of the kids?” to get anything bypassed.

Let’s Crush KOSA Together

This isn’t just legislation; it’s a threat to our digital essence. The House vote looms on August 15, 2025, and we must act now.

I’m pleading with you: call your congressman. Check house.gov for their contact, or dial (202) 224-3121 and make your voice heard.

Demand they reject KOSA. Share #StopKOSA on X, spread this message, rally your circle. We’re not just defending games or conversations; we’re safeguarding the internet’s freedom. This is our chance to hold the line. Let’s seize it.

Pro-tip for Parents:

BE A FUCKING PARENT AND DON’T LET THE GOVERNMENT DO THE JOB YOU SHOULD BE DOING! BE A FUCKING PARENT AND PROTECT YOUR KIDS AGAINST THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA!