Washington – As Kansas considers a bill that would require all internet users to submit personal data to access the internet, the Computer & Communications Industry Association testified against Senate Bill 372 because it raises serious constitutional, privacy, and practical concerns.
CCIA’s State Policy Director Megan Stokes will tell Kansas lawmakers that complying with SB 372 would restrict access not only for minors, but also for adults and teens accessing sites and services online. The First Amendment does not allow states to condition access to protected speech on proving one’s age, and courts have repeatedly blocked laws that have attempted to do this.
In addition to Constitutional issues, SB 372 presents additional privacy risks by requiring the collection of sensitive personal data, including government-issued IDs or biometric information. This data can then be targeted for cyberthreats and fraud.
The following statement can be attributed to Megan Stokes, State Policy Director for CCIA:
“Additional protection online for younger users is important, and we support solutions that give parents more options to make decisions on what is appropriate. We would encourage policymakers to advance measures that don’t undermine privacy or First Amendment protections. Age verification bills like this require the collection of sensitive information on all internet users to prove compliance and that is a risk at a time when responsible companies are trying to collect less personal data on users.”
