John Perrino

28 Jan 2024

I am building a Bluesky feed for the internet policy community. Add it by searching "Internet Policy" in the Feeds tab and send me suggestions or requests for folks I should add.

quad9.netQuad9 | A public and free DNS service for a better security and privacyA public and free DNS service for a better security and privacy

The nonprofit DNS service that loads your webpages without spying on you and with strong security protections is pulling out of France because it won't break the Internet by blocking every alleged live sports stream despite court orders. 😞

Joseph Lorenzo Hall, PhD@josephhall.org

French—and EU—courts don't understand DNS, part ∞+1: Quad9 pulls out of France starting 24-Nov quad9.net/news/blog/au...

Quad9: "This is like holding a piece of newspaper in front of a stadium full of people to block the view of a concert. It is an unsolvable problem via recursive DNS..."

techpolicy.pressAge Checks, AI Regulation and Censorship Put Internet Freedom Under PressureThe global fight for internet freedom is getting harder, according to the latest iteration of the Freedom on the Net report from Freedom House.

Great coverage of the annual @freedomhouse.bsky.social Freedom on the Net report by @techpolicypress.bsky.social! 🌐 😔 “Global internet freedom declined for the 16th consecutive year.” 🪪 🤖 Age checks and AI are new threats 🙌 🟢 For the first time in a decade, Bangladesh had no Internet shutdowns.

John Perrino reposted

Senator Ron Wyden

@wyden.senate.gov

Happy Global Encryption Day to all who value their privacy and security. I'll keep fighting to protect and push for adoption of strong encryption to keep us all safe.

John Perrino reposted

Senator Paula Simons 🇨🇦

@senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social

Today is Global Encryption Day - an excellent day to share a link to this very informative event hosted by the @caninternetsociety.bsky.social, which delved into the risks posed by Bill C-22, Canada's proposed new "lawful access" legislation. #cdnpoli #C22 #lawfulaccess #GlobalEncryptionDAy

youtube.comBuilt-In Weakness: Lawful Access & Encryption in the Age of AI-Powered Cyber Threats (Oct 5, 2026)YouTube video by The Canadian Internet Society

I'm looking forward to moderating a discussion on the growing threat of VPN restrictions around the world next week with expert insights from the US, UK, Brazil, and India. 🎟️ Register Here: events.zoom.us/ev/AjOBsny-3...

blog.ericgoldman.orgSome New Data on Age Authentication Balk Rates - Technology & Marketing Law BlogThe issue is: if a website imposes a government-compelled age authentication wall, what percentage of users will stop at the authentication wall, either because the users turn around or fail to naviga...

I'll be joined by Veridiana Alimonti (@eff.org), James Baker (@openrightsgroup.org), Sudha Bhuvaneswari Narayanaswamy (KriVin Intellinet Solutions), and @senatorshoshana.bsky.social (Abundance Institute) for this #GlobalEncryptionDay panel conversation.

John Perrino reposted

Eric Goldman

@ericgoldman.bsky.social

Blog Post: Some New Data on Age Authentication Balk Rates blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/202...

techpolicy.pressThe World’s Growing Patchwork of Age Bans and What It RevealsAge bans are easy to explain and politically attractive. Implementing them, however, has proven far more difficult and controversial, writes John Perrino.

I've been giving up some sleep to pursue a passion project tracking social media age restrictions around the world. Here's what I found and what it means. 🌐 😴

View full thread

Instead of doubling down on age restriction enforcement, governments must focus on accountability and incentives to make online services safer for everyone.

techpolicy.pressTracking Efforts To Restrict Or Ban Teens from Social Media Across the GlobeSeveral countries have passed—and many others are considering—restrictions or bans on teens accessing social media platforms.

Thanks to @techpolicypress.bsky.social (especially @ramshajahangir.bsky.social) for their work tracking social media age restrictions and making it public and free to use! I'm delighted that @internetsociety.org is now contributing updates to that tracker from our global staff and community.

I've been giving up some sleep to pursue a passion project tracking social media age restrictions around the world. Here's what I found and what it means. 🌐 😴

View full thread

🚔 🗳️ Not all countries are pursuing restrictions solely for online safety. In a notable minority of cases, politics and national security concerns are also driving action.

Social media bans are easy to explain and politically attractive. Implementing them, however, is far more difficult and controversial. Trying to keep children and teens off online services they want to be on is not an effective way to improve their safety.

I've been giving up some sleep to pursue a passion project tracking social media age restrictions around the world. Here's what I found and what it means. 🌐 😴

View full thread

🛡️ 🔐 A closer look at policy developments shows a global preference for safety-by-design requirements over full bans.

⚙️ ⚖️ 🗣 Technical limitations, legal restrictions, and social values are influencing decisions to reject complete bans in favor of safety design and education.

I've been giving up some sleep to pursue a passion project tracking social media age restrictions around the world. Here's what I found and what it means. 🌐 😴

📊 🗺 More than 60 countries are formally exploring social media age restrictions, but only seven countries have actually implemented bans to date.

John Perrino reposted

David Kaye

@davidakaye.bsky.social

if this is the actual argument, it's just frivolous. X not present or operating in europe? 😆 i also want to know - and think a democratic congress should inquire - how this particular intervention came about. 🤔

This post is unavailable.

techdirt.comKids Turn Podcast Comments Into Secret Chat Rooms, Because Of Course They DoAs anyone who has read Techdirt for any length of time knows full well, there’s been a years-long campaign to demonize kids and social media. Never mind that actual experts have said the data doesn…

I'm glad more people are seeing the @thisamericanlife.org report about how children use the NPR comments section to get around social media bans today. Funny thing is that @npr.org and @techdirt.com reported on this a year ago. And it was Google Docs before podcasts.

gizmodo.comThe First US Law Targeting VPN Use Just Went Into Effect: Here's What Just ChangedAfter months of legal wrangling, Utah's Senate Bill 73, the first US law to explicitly target VPN use in the context of age verification, went into effect today, September 3, 2026. Originally schedule...

3 Sept

A Utah law requiring websites with adult content to block residents no matter where they are in the world went into effect today. Who needs to understand the Internet? 🌐 🛡️ Targeting VPNs is bad for anyone who wants a little privacy and security. 🙅‍♂️ It's not only a bad idea, it's an impossible idea.

@davidsullivan.bsky.social

1 Sept

Want to keep up with EU tech policy? There's a lot going on, but this expert list has you covered from online safety to competition, copyright, AI and more.

Netopia.eu@netopia.bsky.social

#StarterPack emphasis on platforms, competition law, digital rights, tech regulation, press freedom, market dominance, surviellance capitalism, and tech landscape within EU (Copyright Directive, Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Digital Fairness Act, GDPR & AI Act). bsky.app/starter-pack...

John Perrino reposted

David Sullivan

28 Aug

If you're reading the Meta settlement and wondering about the age assurance/verification contents, might I suggest you first read this new statement from the Internet Architecture Board: datatracker.ietf.org/doc/statemen... HT @farzdusa.bsky.social @johnperrino.com

datatracker.ietf.org IAB Statement on Age-Based Restrictions and Online Safety

7 Aug

First OpenAI. Then Anthropic. Now Meta? The Hill: "Meta AI model goes rogue in testing, hacks another company" thehill.com/policy/techn...

commerce.senate.govExecutive Session 24 - U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

5 Aug

GUESS WHAT?? Congress did something smart and voted against advancing the SCREEN Act in a committee vote today. 🎉 That's the anti-porn, but not really about porn bill with age verification requirements for a lot of the Internet. Technically, a majority voted for it. But hey, a win is a win.

John Perrino@johnperrino.com

A key Senate committee vote next week won't include AI, but there's a stupid "porn" age verification bill. Why the SCREEN Act is worth your attention: 👉 Age verification required for ANY "interactive computer service" that makes adult content available 👉 IP address verification 👉 VPN restrictions

This bill is somehow even more broad and dumb than the House version which has a "1/3 adult content" provision for adult content age verification requirements. Frankly, that kind of dumb is impressive. But guess what? If you say it's to stop porn (which it's not) then it's hard to oppose.

31 July

Internet infrastructure services carry all kinds of encrypted data to preserve the integrity of the Internet. The bill's definition would cover caching and routing services like the content delivery networks (CDNs) used to load content on many websites. We'd all be worse off, but there's no logic.

congress.govcongress.gov

31 July

EVERYONE GETS HACKED BY AGENTIC AI! Glad Anthropic didn't want to be left out and can join OpenAI in this promotion. 🤦‍♂️

23 July

Wow wow wow! MSG mostly turned off its notorious facial recognition surveillance for Taylor Swift's wedding.

Fight for the Future@fightforthefuture.org

NEW: @evangreer.bsky.social director of @fightforthefuture.org spoke with @wired.com about the latest on Madison Square Garden’s surveillance practices & exceptionalism when it comes to elites like Taylor Swift.

ofcom.org.ukAge checks helping make online experiences safer for UK children, but ‘job not done’ and tech industry must act to strengthen protectionsA new report published today by Ofcom reveals that age checks are now being deployed at an unprecedented scale across the pornography, social media, dating and gaming sectors.

The UK's online safety regulator just put out a report on age assurance and online safety. I'm reading it so you don't have to. 🤓 UK Government Report TLDR: • Age checks good. • Do them more. • Make them more restrictive for u-16 social media ban. Good News: No call for VPN restrictions

🛡️🌐 There are no mentions of VPNs in the announcement or report summary page, but more than 60 mentions in the full report. These mostly reference UK government findings that only 5% of children report using VPNs to circumvent age restrictions.

internet.exchangepoint.techWhy Ofcom Objects to TikTok's Age Assurance MethodsOfcom's new investigation asks whether TikTok's inference-based age checks are "highly effective" enough. Audrey Hingle uses a new Internet-Draft on age verification architecture to show how every age...

While I'm critical, the folks I know at Ofcom truly care about data privacy, security, and online safety. A lot of research went into the report which includes good discussion on privacy and data protection. Regulation is hard and politics makes it harder. Good luck to my friends at Ofcom!

🕵 Ofcom is investigating whether TikTok effectively uses "age inference" as part of obligations to block children from harmful content under the Online Safety Act. How much choice do online services really have in choosing how they check people's ages?

🔞 The regulator is also having a difficult time enforcing age restrictions for adult websites with many operating outside the UK under secretive umbrella companies. 🔎 ⛔ They're now working with Google and Bing to block search results for non-compliant websites.

📊 The report argues that age assurance requirements are improving online safety, public opinion is more supportive of an "age-aware internet" and online services must improve compliance. 🔓 I'd argue less sensitivity for privacy and data risks is not a good thing. Age checks must be safe and secure.

📱 Ofcom will develop new guidelines on "highly effective" age checks by the fall for the planned under-16 social media ban. 🚫 The UK government warns "age inference," analyzing user data and behavior to estimate people's age, will not be sufficient to enforce an under-16 social media ban.

internetsociety.orgKeeping Kids Safe Online: Navigating the New Parents' Guide to Encryption - Internet SocietyDo you know how you're keeping your kids safe online? Using encryption, there are simple changes you can make as a family to stay safe.

15 July

There's another effort to break encryption in the US Senate! The STOP CSAM Act was added to the current version of the annual defense spending bill, known as the NDAA. If passed, it could require Internet infrastructure services and online platforms to break encryption to scan all data.

Online abuse is a very real and scary challenge caregivers and children everywhere are navigating, including at the Internet Society. Using encrypted tools and services is one of the best ways to keep children safe online. That's why the Internet Society has a Parents’ Guide to Encryption.

internetsociety.orgEncryption Keeps Kids Safe Online - Internet SocietyEARN IT Act, the STOP CSAM Act, and the Kids Online Safety Act erode encryption, the best tool we have for keeping our kids’ information private and secure.

15 July

The Internet Society is raising awareness and working with our community to develop real solutions to combat crime online. I am hopeful the language will be removed or a proposed fix can be adopted!

Strong encryption is an important part of the solution to PROTECT children from grooming and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

internetsociety.orgSTOP CSAM Act Threatens Everyone’s Online Safety and Security - Internet SocietyThe Internet Society calls on the Senate Judiciary Committee to address risks in the STOP CSAM Act that pose an existential threat to the Internet and crucial security technologies that keep children ...

15 July

🌐 The STOP CSAM Act creates liability for Internet infrastructure services and online platforms using encryption to protect the data, networks, and services we rely on. 🔓 Services could be liable for abuse even if they're not aware of it or it's unrecognizable, broken up into data packets.

To be clear, there's a lot to like in the legislation that would address issues with online child abuse reporting. All those benefits are lost if it breaks encryption. Everyone would be at a higher risk online, especially families and children!

internetsociety.orgSafety Over Bans: Internet Society Challenges App Store Age Verification - Internet SocietyThe Internet Society led an amicus brief filing on a case challenging Texas age verification requirements for app stores.

ID check requirements for app stores aren’t online safety policies—they’re privacy and safety risks. That's why the Internet Society spoke up and offered real solutions. 📢

👩🏻‍💻 👨🏻‍💻 Online safety policy must focus on creating safer experiences for young people, minimizing data collection, and ensuring proper security safeguards.

🤝 A safer Internet depends on trust. When governments require people to routinely hand over sensitive personal information to access everyday digital services, they risk weakening that trust while doing little to improve safety. People should not have to choose between online safety or privacy!

ID check requirements for app stores aren’t online safety policies—they’re privacy and safety risks. That's why the Internet Society spoke up and offered real solutions. 📢

⚠️ Laws that require frequent collection of sensitive personal information risk weakening trust and do little to address real online risks and harm. 🛡️ 🛠️ Creating a safer Internet requires solutions that strengthen online safety without undermining privacy, security, and trust.

🔐 Any age check requirements for online safety should be privacy-preserving with "double blind" systems that prevent tracking, user consent to share necessary "age range" information, and by avoiding identity checks and implementing strong data protection rules and enforcement.

ID check requirements for app stores aren’t online safety policies—they’re privacy and safety risks. That's why the Internet Society spoke up and offered real solutions. 📢

🚫 📲 The case challenges a Texas law, the App Store Accountability Act, with age verification requirements for app stores and parental consent requirements for children and teens under 18 to download virtually all apps.

🌐 The law was copied by multiple US states, a similar bill with the same name is before Congress, and similar proposals are being considered around the world.

ID check requirements for app stores aren’t online safety policies—they’re privacy and safety risks. That's why the Internet Society spoke up and offered real solutions. 📢

🏛️ @internetsociety.bsky.social led an amicus brief in CCIA v. Paxton with @cdt.org and @newamerica.org Open Technology Institute.