Congress Considers Abolishing Online Anonymity

Bipartisan 'child online safety' bills would force social media companies to enact invasive identity verification measures, stripping away civil liberties.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A package of a dozen 'child online safety' bills is moving forward in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The laws, framed as a way to crack down on harmful content and make the internet safer, would force social media companies to enact invasive identity verification measures in order to keep children from accessing online spaces. Stripping anonymity from the internet would constitute one of the most sweeping rollbacks of civil rights in recent history, allowing for unprecedented levels of mass surveillance and censorship and endangering the most marginalized members of society.

Why it matters

The quest to remove anonymous speech from the web is not new, with conservative groups and some Democrats falsely claiming that surveillance laws will crack down on Big Tech or curb social media addiction. In reality, these laws will lead to more data being collected on kids, which predatory companies can then use to target them in more invasive ways. The laws would also create a massive new market for third-party identification vendors, hindering the ability of smaller apps to operate and making it harder to compete with Big Tech companies that are leveraging these laws to consolidate power.

The details

Whether the data is stored by the platform itself or outsourced to a vendor, the result is always the same: A user's offline identity is forever linked with their online behavior. Vulnerable members of society will suffer most, as trans people, undocumented immigrants, and young people seeking abortions could be identified and targeted without their consent. The laws will also make it easier for the government to track and prosecute dissidents, whistleblowers, and activists.

  • In August 2024, the Biden administration hosted hundreds of influencers at the White House for the first-ever Creator Economy Conference.
  • Last week, the FTC said it would decline to enforce COPPA, a landmark law that mandates the protection of children's data, in order to incentivize ID verification.

The players

Neera Tanden

A senior Biden adviser who spoke at the Creator Economy Conference and bemoaned anonymity online.

Marsha Blackburn

A Republican senator from Tennessee and the lead co-sponsor of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

Jonathan Haidt

The author of 'The Anxious Generation' who has played a major role in rallying political and public support for these 'online safety' laws globally.

Elon Musk

The CEO of Tesla who has endorsed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

Mark Zuckerberg

The CEO of Meta who recently told a court that Apple and Google should verify the identity of every smartphone user at the operating system level.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Young people still have human rights, and that includes the right to access information and to associate with other people and to speak to the world. These laws are designed to diminish those rights.”

— David Greene, Senior Counsel, Electronic Frontier Foundation (The Intercept)

“Whenever imperialist governments go to war, they become more authoritarian at home.”

— Evan Greer, Director, Fight for the Future (Bluesky)

“Online protest, documenting war crimes, even news articles could be suppressed [if these laws pass].”

— Evan Greer, Director, Fight for the Future (The Intercept)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.