Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

The Anti-LGBTQ Internet Censorship Bill Is Back

June 12, 2026·32 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Just in time for Pride month, Marsha Blackburn and the Heritage Foundation's anti-LGBTQ censorship is back (now supported by OpenAI). SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co     Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz    The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is back, and this time, the White House is reportedly negotiating a deal to pass it in exchange for federal preemption of state AI laws. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I break down why KOSA is one of the most dangerous internet censorship bills in Congress, why tech billionaires like Sam Altman and Elon Musk actually SUPPORT it, and what the media is getting completely wrong about this so-called "trade-off."I'm joined by Ari Cohn, one of the top First Amendment lawyers in the country, to explain exactly how KOSA's "duty of care" provision will force platforms to mass-censor content, including LGBTQ voices, mental health support communities, reproductive health information, and more. We cover the junk science behind the social media moral panic, the age verification privacy nightmare, how the FTC could become the internet's censor-in-chief, and why we've seen this exact panic before with comic books, video games, and television.Click the link below to take action now!!! https://www.badinternetbills.com In this video, we cover:What the Kids Online Safety Act actually doesHow KOSA could impact social media platformsAge verification and online privacy issuesThe potential effects on LGBTQ communities, mental health resources, and online speechWhy Elon Musk and OpenAI support KOSA.The reality of age verification and the death of online privacy.How KOSA targets niche communities and support groups.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Taylor Lorenz’s Power User and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.