I Have A Simple Solution!

Both parties are on a "kick" to "Save the Children!"

The big, evil internet! It is apparently "corrupting" our children, so we need laws to prevent that.

The problem is: who decides what is unacceptable for children to view? We have already seen what Republicans think should be banned from the internet for minors based on the books they want to remove from libraries, specifically LGBTQ+ content.

The second question is: how? How are they going to enforce age restrictions on our web searches?

Age verification is coming for the internet — and it’s already raising red flags

Legislative efforts to age-gate parts of the internet are gaining traction. Some experts warn of compliance complications and data security breaches.

NBC News

By Angela Yang

April 15, 2026

What began as an effort to bolster kids’ safety online has morphed in recent months into a broader debate over privacy and anonymity on the internet.

Mandatory age verification, which requires websites and apps to confirm or estimate users’ ages before they grant access to certain content, has continued to gain traction nationwide, as more states pass laws mandating some form of it.

Supporters argue the rules are necessary to protect children from harmful content, including pornography. Critics counter that age verification could backfire — and undermine privacy and free expression online.

“Every single time an age authentication mandate goes into effect, the internet shrinks some,” said Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law who focuses on internet law, adding that as mandates are implemented across the board, they could determine whether people have "conversations online that we find socially valuable."

This will be the ultimate tracking cookie! Your name and age will be tagged everywhere you search.

In the U.S., the bipartisan Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, introduced in March, would require platforms to deploy age verification measures to identify minors in some cases. The Federal Trade Commission also recently declared its support for social media companies to collect limited personal information for age verification to protect kids.

“Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

Whenever trans students are discussed in legislative hearings, the Republican mantra is "Parents' Rights" and "Get the government off our backs." Somehow, we aren't hearing that from them now.

My Simple Solution?

It is actually quite simple. It requires no new laws, no invasive tracking, and it fits perfectly with the "Parents' Rights" mantra. Are you ready for it?

When you get a cell phone or an internet connection, there should be a box you check that says: "I want this device age-limited."

Wow... what a novel idea! Make the parents responsible for limiting what can be searched on a device, not the federal government.

A wave of litigation targeting social platforms — including the recent bellwether verdict in Los Angeles, which held Meta and Google liable for social media addiction, and the ongoing child safety lawsuits against Roblox — has also put increasing pressure on companies to age-gate their products.

You don't want me on the jury because I would have said... where were the parents? They don't supervise their children they want the government to do it! This is a 180 degree switch for the Republicans! Why? All of sudden do they want more legislation? Maybe it is because you know darn well that our searches of anything "LGBTQ+" will be limited!

“Understanding the age of people online is an industry-wide challenge,” Instagram wrote in a blog post announcing expanded policies for teen accounts last year. “We’ll continue our efforts to help ensure teens are placed in age-appropriate online experiences, like Teen Accounts, but the most effective way to understand age is by obtaining parental approval and verifying age on the app store.”

Bingo!!!!

Put the onus on the parents, not limits on everyone’s searches. Can you imagine the surveillance and advertising you would face with a cookie that identifies your name and age? Just think: they could have age-targeted ads for everything. If you’re in your 70s, they’ll load you up with ads for Metamucil and walkers!

“It requires the disclosure of immutable information that’s personal and private, and it requires the party that takes it to make sure that they don’t use it for any other purpose than for the verification, and then maybe they keep some record of it,” said Mackey, of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “And so all of that creates both privacy and data security risks, but it also fundamentally undermines your ability under the First Amendment to engage in anonymous speech online.”

Implementing effective age restrictions also requires users to trust tech companies to handle their data safely, a feat that's difficult in light of frequent breaches.

When I first came out, it was the internet that opened my eyes to the possibility of transition. It will be people like us whom they censor—just as they do in libraries with their rallying cry of "Save the Children." They want to yank any website with LGBTQ+ content right off the web.

Will every website be forced to register and categorize its content? What happens when there is a disagreement over that content? Who decides? Could my blog be labeled "adult content" simply because I discuss LGBTQ+ issues? Will I be silenced?

Imagine: a "radical leftist" arguing for less government, while the MAGA right argues for more government regulations!