PK, CDT, Advocates Oppose Earn It Act

The Senate Judiciary Committee should oppose the Earn It Act because it will result in censorship and jeopardize encryption, more than 60 groups wrote the committee Wednesday. The legislation is to be voted on Thursday (see 2202040052). Signers included Center for Democracy & Technology, Public Knowledge, Access Now, American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future, Free Press Action, Internet Society, Media Alliance and TechFreedom. The increased liability envisioned in the bill “will threaten our ability to speak freely and securely online, and threaten the very prosecutions the bill seeks to enable,” they wrote. Eleven industry groups also wrote in opposition to the bill. S.3538 would “impair lawful speech and conduct, threaten the privacy of law-abiding citizens, hinder law enforcement’s efforts against online child exploitation, and limit innovation,” they wrote. CTA, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, ACT | The App Association, Engine, NetChoice and the Software & Information Industry Association signed.