Prostasia Foundation @ProstasiaInc@qoto.org

The Kids Online Safety Act should really be called the Kids Online Censorship Act. Because that’s what it would do – it would force Internet companies to over-censor the Internet in the name of protecting children. https://prostasia.org/campaign/oppose-the-kids-online-safety-act/ #KOSA #StopKOSA

"The sending and receiving of intimate images and videos is increasingly becoming a part of people's sexual relationships—particularly for teenagers and young adults." https://phys.org/news/2023-08-young-people-forwarded-nudes-permissionbut.html

Did you know: Thanks to Google Ad's generosity, Prostasia Foundation is able to help redirect people to professional support services when they search for illegal content. https://prostasia.org/project/csam-deterrence/

A republican dominated house is pushing a bill raising many concerns by civil rights, child protection, and lgbtq+ advocacy groups all in the name of child safety. https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjv3qp/congress-is-pushing-an-online-safety-bill-supported-by-anti-lgbtq-groups

Online platforms have a responsibility to protect their young users. Our new open letter to the @wikimediafoundation Foundation contains our guidance on implementing strong safeguarding policies while defending free speech and informational accuracy.
https://prostasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Wikimedia-Foundations-Child-sexual-exploitation-policy-project.pdf

"It’s also why some nonprofits – like Prostasia Foundation – make it a point to support minorities that need more resources." https://prostasia.org/blog/fighting-stigma/

"transgender teen sexuality mirrors the activities of their cisgender counterparts. Hysteria about transgender teen sexuality is unwarranted." https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-sex/202308/are-transgender-teens-likely-to-engage-in-risky-sex

"Several studies have found that persons with disabilities have lower levels of access to quality services than persons without disabilities, including lower access to sexual education and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights." https://speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2023/08/03/healthcare-will-not-be-accessible-to-all-until-gender-sexuality-and-disability-are-included/

"Perpetrators harm not because they think they’re hurting anyone, but because they lack the resources and support to make better choices." https://prostasia.org/blog/fighting-stigma/

"What I learned from is that the common 'knowledge' about sexual violence is decades out of date to what we know about the reality of the problem and how we can solve it. The biggest barrier is stigma." https://prostasia.org/blog/fighting-stigma/

"Social conditioning, or how we’re taught to view the world around us, also plays a big role in how stigma develops." https://prostasia.org/blog/fighting-stigma/

Did You Know: If you run an adult website, you can make your website easy to block with parental control tools, by adding this very simple code: `<meta name="RATING" content="RTA-5042-1996-1400-1577-RTA" />`

https://www.rtalabel.org/index.php?content=howto

"If you are conversing regularly with your child about their online experiences and your use of parental control tools, then they will be empowered to make safer choices online." https://prostasia.org/?na=v&nk=18015-05ed1362cf&id=130

We encourage Twitter/X to maintain their years-long "zero tolerance" policy for images and videos of child sexual abuse. Allowing individuals who have posted such content to continue using the service as normal puts more survivors at risk of harm. https://mashable.com/article/x-twitter-ces-suspension-right-wing-account-reinstated

"Stigma doesn’t happen overnight. Nobody wakes up one day and says, 'I think I’m going to have terrible opinions towards this minority or that minority, just because.'" prostasia.org/blog/fighting-stigma/

"Lately, parents are reporting that their changes haven't gone into effect, and kids are getting extra time on their apps or even facing no restrictions on adult content." https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-users-say-parental-controls-not-working-properly-report-2023-7

"Last month, the Stanford Cyber Policy Center reported that Twitter had been letting through known CSAM that should have been caught with PhotoDNA, which identifies previously detected images and shares them with internet companies for blocking." https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/27/twitter-csam-dom-lucre-elon-musk/

"While we cannot stop the perpetual march of technological development, we can control how it affects our lives and our children's lives. We do have control over how much or how little information we voluntarily share online and with whom, so let’s use it!" https://prostasia.org/?na=v&nk=18015-05ed1362cf&id=130

"If it passes, the Online Safety Bill will be a huge step backwards for global privacy, and democracy itself. Requiring government-approved software in peoples’ messaging services is an awful precedent." https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/uk-government-very-close-eroding-encryption-worldwide

This is why we warn against conflating real images of actual abuse with stories. The result is harassment against artists, storytellers, and even survivors who speak out about their experiences.