LGBT Tech Amplifies Concerns Over KOSA in Washington Blade Op-Ed
- Tatyana Ithier
- Aug 14
- 1 min read
LGBT Tech’s Director of Policy and Research, Shae Gardner, penned a powerful opinion piece in Washington Blade titled “Kids Online Safety Act will silence LGBTQ voices.” With clarity and urgency, Gardner warns that even with recent revisions, KOSA, designed to regulate children's online safety, remains dangerously overbroad, especially under a politically motivated enforcement body like the current Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
As Gardner writes:
"If [the FTC] says it about gender-affirming care, they will say it about gender-affirming content."
Gardner calls attention to how vague definitions of “harmful” content under KOSA could jeopardize essential LGBTQ+ online resources and communities. In response to the FTC’s own anti-trans actions, LGBT Tech collaborated with Public Knowledge and Fight for the Future to host a counter-initiative titled “The FTC’s Culture War vs. Consumer Protection,” bringing together experts to challenge misrepresentation and advocate for inclusive digital policy.
