The EARN IT bill, which seeks to create a National Commission for the Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation, proposes a series of strategies to reduce cases of child abuse on internet service platforms, but also threatens privacy of encryption projects and digital systems.
The “Eliminating Rampant Abusive Neglect of Interactive Technologies” bill, known as EARN IT, was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The presentation was led by the representatives of the United States Congress, Sylvia García (D-TX) y Ann Wagner (R-MO), who expressed the imminent need to keep children protected from the risks present on the internet and digital platforms.
García expressed that the bill will ensure the taking of action and precautions necessary to protect children from child abuse and exploitation, by preventing and effectively responding to illicit activities of this type that occur online. EARN IT will hold accountable all those who prey on children and violate child sexual abuse laws. If this bill is approved, platforms such as Google, Facebook y WhatsApp, which use end-to-end encryption systems, will have to adopt a series of strategies to prevent, reduce and respond to cases of child exploitation and it is estimated that service platforms related to cryptocurrencies, They will also be subject to the effects of this law.
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Internet privacy and cryptocurrencies
Encryption platforms keep data hidden from end to end in order to protect the privacy of conversations, data and information in general that is shared through these platforms, just as happens in the ecosystem of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. . Thus, to have control over the data that is shared on internet service platforms and apply the full weight of the law to those who violate the legislation on the matter, several experts consider that government officials and entities can break the encryption of these platforms by attacking thus against the privacy of the users of these systems.
With the approval of EARN IT, the government will track all platforms that use encryption systems and will be able to bypass the security of these protocols.
Although it is not clear how this bill will affect cryptocurrencies and digital systems, Chris Troutner, developer of FullStack.cash, project manager at Psfoundation.cash and cryptocurrency enthusiast, points out that the new law is a cause for concern due to the way in which it can be implemented against the privacy of digital assets.
“Either way, the bill is a direct departure from the cypherpunk spirit that created Bitcoin”
Troutner defends freedom, as a fundamental right of every human being, in addition to the need for privacy and “uncensored money” that users have as an effective way to guarantee financial freedom without complications.
A potential threat
EARN IT does not directly or explicitly mention crypto projects and cryptocurrencies. However, critics and experts consider the bill to be a potential threat to these systems. A threat that has been present since its announcement several months ago.
The bill primarily focuses on repealing the Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online service providers from being held responsible for the content that their users publish within said platforms, and in circumventing the 4th Amendment, which expresses that the privacy and security rights of citizens will not be violated. The new law will grant broad powers to government officials, who could require internet service providers to expose all private content they own to search for illicit material related to child exploitation, violating the aforementioned laws.
Likewise, William Barr, the Attorney General of the United States, believes that the implementation of this bill is the best strategy to ensure the protection and safety of children. Barr says the government should force messaging systems and encryption platforms to allow government officials access to the private conversations handled within these systems.
Effects of EARN IT
If this bill is approved, internet and encryption service providers could face a difficult situation: be involved in a federal lawsuit where they risk everything or expose the security and privacy of their users and make them vulnerable to cybercriminals.
Furthermore, as some organizations debate, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), who presented a publication where it details the need for this project, this law would not offer meaningful solutions to protect the integrity of children, as it does not help organizations support victims of child abuse. In addition, Andres Sarmiento, researcher and scientist, express that the new bill can be taken as a backdoor that will allow the government to ban encryption within commercial services, which will become unviable with the approval of EARN IT.
“It does not equip law enforcement agencies with resources to investigate allegations of child exploitation or with training on how to use online platforms to catch perpetrators. Rather, the bill's authors have cleverly used the defense of children as the pretense of an attack on our freedom of expression and online safety."
Although the version recently presented before the United States House of Representatives is softer than the original version, critics continue to claim that this bill threatens the security and privacy of Internet users, serving as a hammer to persecute any service. Internet that allows encrypted communication.
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