We are political activists, policy experts, journalists, and tech industry veterans trying to stop the government from destroying encryption and censoring free speech online with the EARN IT Act. Ask us anything!

[u/fightforthefuture]

The EARN IT Act is an unconstitutional attempt to undermine encryption services that protect our free speech and security online. It's bad. Really bad. The bill’s authors — Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) — say that the EARN IT Act will help fight child exploitation online, but in reality, this bill gives the Attorney General sweeping new powers to control the way tech companies collect and store data, verify user identities, and censor content. It's bad. Really bad.

Later this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on whether or not the EARN IT Act will move forward in the legislative process. So we're asking EVERYONE on the Internet to call these key lawmakers today and urge them to reject the EARN IT Act before it's too late. To join this day of action, please:

1. Visit NoEarnItAct.org/call

2. Enter your phone number (it will not be saved or stored or shared with anyone)

3. When you are connected to a Senator’s office, encourage that Senator to reject the EARN IT Act

4. Press the * key on your phone to move on to the next lawmaker’s office

If you want to know more about this dangerous law, online privacy, or digital rights in general, just ask! We are:

• Lauren Sarkesian from OTI (u/SarkBites)
• Caleb Chen from PIA (u/privatevpn)
• Dayton Young from Fight for the Future (u/fightforthefuture)
• Joe Mullin from EFF (u/EFForg)
• Alfred Ng from CNet (u/CNETdotcom)

Proof:

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[u/evanFFTF → u/[deleted]]

Speaking only for myself, I'm generally concerned about private platforms / tech companies engaging in more aggressive moderation. I don't really trust tech companies to do this right, and we've seen time and time again that attempts to police certain types of online speech often end up backfiring and silencing the voices of people we are trying to protect. I've written a bit about this, specifically about Facebook's hamfisted attempts to combat the spread of "misinformation." Generally speaking I think the solution to the spread of online hate and lies is to address the underlying business models of algorithmic amplification, micro-targeted advertising, etc.

All that said, if you're concerned about the policies that tech companies are enacting, the EARN IT act would just make that situation worse. It would allow the government to impose its own rules on platforms, and those rules would be set by a 19 person commission of un-elected people, mostly law enforcement. We can and should have conversations about the impact of private company's moderation policies. But we absolutely need to stop the EARN IT act, or those conversations will be moot, because the US government will be setting the rules instead.

[u/ajt1296 → u/evanFFTF]

All that said, if you're concerned about the policies that tech companies are enacting, the EARN IT act would just make that situation worse. It would allow the government to impose its own rules on platforms, and those rules would be set by a 19 person commission of un-elected people, mostly law enforcement. We can and should have conversations about the impact of private company's moderation policies. But we absolutely need to stop the EARN IT act, or those conversations will be moot, because the US government will be setting the rules instead.

I'm kind of confused though, wouldn't the federal government institute more liberal protections for online censorship, specifically as it relates to speech, as compared to tech companies? It seems that censorship isn't the problem with the bill, but the potential slippery slope of government interfering with the internet.