EARN IT Act, The Surveillance Bill That Refuses to Die
Some controversial tech policies keep popping back up year after year like a zombie that just refuses to stay dead. One of those is the EARN IT Act, which would remove Section 230 liability protections for tech platforms if they are found to have knowingly let their users send child sexual abuse material (CSAM.) Like the Stop CSAM Act, opponents believe this widening of legal liability would disincentivize platforms from providing any types of end-to-end encryption which could fundamentally alter the notion of privacy on the internet.
“Weakening encryption is probably the premiere gift you could give to predators and god-awful people who want to stalk and spy on kids,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said at a Fight for the Future event earlier this year. “It threatens the privacy and security of every single law-abiding American.”
