Ramblings of a Madman

I don’t know who is coordinating it; I don’t know why or how. These tracking and surveillance bills being pushed, all at the same time, is utterly mind boggling.

Here in the States we have the the Kids Online Safety Act and the SCREEN Act. Over in the UK they have the Online Safety Act. I’m sure the EU as a whole is cooking something up. You may think me crass, but I don’t trust a single person who says “think of the children,” while not doing anything that would actually help them.

These bills aren’t about protecting children. They are about control. They require you to provide an ID for accessing online services. Facebook, X, YouTube, to name a few. Then there is the porn. The gaming, the mods for the gaming.

They want to track every last detail. They want to know everything about you, and they are willing to do whatever they must in order to achieve their goals.

That’s what is so frustrating. 20 years ago, it was “don’t give anyone personal information online.” Soon it will be “give us your personal information or you wan’t be able to use the internet.”

I guarantee there are people who don’t even know these exist. Or they’re going along with it in the name protecting kids; you know, one of the jobs a parent should be doing.

There are also people who are going to accept it because they feel like there is no point in fighting, and I can’t say I blame them. It’s frustrating yelling at political figures and not feeling like you’re being heard.

I wish I could say that contacting our congress critters would do anything. But I don’t know if it will, as I don’t believe they actually care about us. Maybe that is the pessimist in me; maybe I’m blind.

I wish I knew that answer; the one thing I do know is that these moves feel inevitable. And I absolutely cannot stand that feeling; the feeling of complete and utter hopelessness and lack of control.