Is the massive New Mexico verdict against Meta really about privacy—or is it about speech?

In this episode of The Fine Print with Julie Barrett, Trace Mitchell (Lead Counsel for Technology and Free Expression Policy at FIRE) joins Julie to break down the $25 billion case, why three of the five categories of claims have nothing to do with data privacy, and how the decision could chill what platforms say about content moderation.

They also dig into:
The real problems with KOSA and similar “child safety” bills
Why age-verification mandates often function as digital ID requirements
How these laws burden adult speech and anonymity
Kids’ First Amendment rights and the overlooked benefits of online connection
Why well-intentioned legislation can be weaponized against speech from both sides
What actually protects kids online (hint: it’s not government databases)

Trace previously served as general counsel for Senator Rand Paul, worked at NetChoice and the Institute for Justice, and clerked on the Maryland Supreme Court. He’s been in the middle of these fights for years.

Guest: Trace Mitchell (@TraceTheLaw on X)
Host: Julie Barrett

Find Trace and FIRE:
fire.org
@TraceTheLaw on X


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#freespeech #KOSA #DigitalID #ChildSafety #FirstAmendment

Protecting Kids Online is a coalition of parents and citizens pushing back on surveillance and censorship bills sold as child safety. Read the bills. Talk to your legislators. Join the coalition at protectingkids.online.

Vance Ginn joins the Fine Print Podcast with Julie Barrett to discuss why he believes government age-verification mandates and digital ID requirements take power away from parents and create more problems than they solve.

In this episode, the PhD economist and former chief economist at the Trump OMB and Texas Public Policy Foundation explains his view that we should empower parents—not bureaucrats—when it comes to kids and technology. He shares his perspective as a father of three, breaks down the trade-offs of bills like Texas’s App Store Accountability Act, and addresses the growing push for more government involvement in what children can access online.

Topics covered include:

• Why “protect the kids” policies often function as digital IDs and expand surveillance
• The inconsistency of supporting school choice while restricting parental authority online
• Correlation vs. causation in the debate over social media and teen mental health
• The knowledge problem and why politicians are poorly positioned to parent
• Marketplace solutions, parental controls, and the risks of mission creep

Vance Ginn is the founder of Ginn Economic Consulting and host of the Let the People Prosper Show.

Learn more: • VanceGinn.com • VanceGinn.substack.com • Let the People Prosper Show (available on major podcast platforms)

If this conversation was helpful, consider liking the video and subscribing for more in-depth policy discussions. Learn more at protectingkids.online

#ParentalRights #AgeVerification #DigitalID #KidsOnline #TechPolicy #VanceGinn #FinePrintPodcast #FreeMarkets #GovernmentOverreach

Protecting Kids Online is a coalition of parents and citizens pushing back on surveillance and censorship bills sold as child safety. Read the bills. Talk to your legislators. Join the coalition at protectingkids.online.

Maureen Flatley (President of Stop Child Predators) joins the podcast for a deep dive into why so many current “child safety” bills are missing the point.

We talk about the PROTECT Act of 2008 — a law Congress passed to build real law-enforcement capacity against online child exploitation that was never implemented. We look at the CyberTip program (the internet’s version of 911) that was never fully funded or tracked, even as reports skyrocketed. And we examine why so many of the new proposals, including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), focus on platforms, surveillance, and age verification instead of enforcing existing criminal law or holding parents accountable.

Mo also covers:
Why she sees many lawsuits involving very young children as parenting failures, not just tech failures
The track record of states (and state attorneys general) when it comes to protecting kids already in government care
Why suing platforms won’t stop organized crime rings like the Yahoo Boys
The constitutional and practical problems with KOSA and similar bills
What actually needs to happen if the goal is fewer kids being exploited

Maureen has spent decades in child advocacy and child welfare policy. Her perspective is shaped by both the creation of modern child protection laws and years of watching how those same standards have been treated differently online.

Follow Maureen Flatley on X: @moflatley
Learn more about her work: stopchildpredators.org

#KOSA #ChildSafety #CyberTips #ParentalRights #StopChildPredators #OnlineSafety #PROTECTAct

Protecting Kids Online is a coalition of parents and citizens pushing back on surveillance and censorship bills sold as child safety. Read the bills. Talk to your legislators. Join the coalition at protectingkids.online.