Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association will testify today before the Washington State Senate Business, Trade, and Economic Development Committee in opposition to Senate Bill 6111, warning that the proposal would impose unconstitutional speech restrictions while undermining user privacy for Washington state residents of all ages.
SB 6111 would require online services to implement age verification and parental consent requirements and restrict access to lawful content deemed potentially harmful to minors. CCIA cautions these mandates conflict with longstanding First Amendment precedent and risk limiting lawful speech for adults and teens.
- Courts have repeatedly struck down similar laws that restrict access to protected speech in the name of protecting minors. CCIA is concerned that SB 6111 would: reduce adult access to information to what lawmakers consider appropriate for children, a flaw the U.S. Supreme Court has previously rejected.
- Require the collection of sensitive personal data, such as government-issued IDs or biometric information, creating new privacy and security risks. These mandates run counter to widely accepted data minimization principles and could expose users to identity theft, data breaches, and misuse of personal information.
- Create significant uncertainty for businesses attempting to comply with the law. The lack of clear definitions could incentivize companies to restrict access to services for all users under 18 to manage legal risk, potentially limiting teens’ access to educational resources and supportive online communities.
CCIA supports efforts to improve online safety for children. SB 6111 takes an overly broad approach that would create more problems than it solves. CCIA encourages lawmakers to pursue targeted, evidence-based policies that empower parents and protect privacy without restricting lawful speech.
The following statement can be attributed to Aodhan Downey, West Region State Policy Manager for CCIA, who will testify against the bill:
“Protecting children online is an important goal, and our members have developed tools that give parents meaningful control over their children’s digital experiences. Unfortunately, SB 6111 takes an overly broad approach that raises serious First Amendment and privacy concerns. HB 6111 would likely require extensive data collection, restrict lawful speech, and create uncertainty for both consumers and businesses. We encourage lawmakers to pause and consider approaches that are narrowly tailored, respect constitutional rights, and truly advance online safety.”
