State Attorneys General Want to Tie Online Access to ID

Privacy, Surveillance, and “License to Use the Internet”

• Many see tying online access to ID as the predictable next step toward “KYC for the internet,” comparable to banking KYC, which some call a major civil-liberties overreach.
• Strong concern that OS-level verification and remote attestation will mean the “death of open computing” and general-purpose devices.
• Several argue the child-safety rationale is a fig leaf; the real goal is mass surveillance, control, and easier retaliation against dissent.

Constitutional and Political Dimensions

• Some commenters are cautiously optimistic the First Amendment and existing precedent protecting anonymous speech would kill this in court.
• Others counter that even if courts resist, the executive could ignore rulings, and that lack of privacy is now bipartisan.
• There’s deep pessimism about political leadership; suggested reforms include removing money from politics and improving civic literacy.

Child Safety vs Platform Accountability

• Many note the AGs themselves describe social media as addictive and harmful to minors, yet the policy burden is placed on users’ identity, not on regulating platforms, algorithms, or advertising.
• Some blame tech culture for insisting child safety is solely a parental responsibility, leaving a “think of the children” loophole for heavy-handed legislation.
• Others argue the real solution is parental supervision and treating “the whole internet as not for kids without adults around.”

Technical Alternatives and Tradeoffs

• Several suggest privacy-preserving systems: opt-in “kids devices” that send a “kid” flag, content ratings/metadata from sites, or zero-knowledge age proofs.
• Critics note such systems historically existed (PICS, content ratings) and were barely used; they suspect current ID pushes are intentionally hostile to privacy.
• Debate around remote attestation: some see it as the real threat (servers enforcing specific hardware/software, killing ad-blocking and open clients).

Anonymity: Protection and Harm

• Strong defense of anonymous/pseudonymous speech as essential for whistleblowing and political criticism.
• One thread asks how to curb harms from anonymous abuse (threats, harassment, swatting) and whether ID or Section 230 changes would actually help; no clear consensus emerges.